


Believing

by AnnaDreyar



Category: Naruto
Genre: Akatsuki - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anbu Haruno Sakura, Angst, Childhood Friends, Drama & Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Haruno Sakura-centric, Hostage Situations, Possessive Uchiha Itachi, Strong Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Itachi in Akatsuki, Uchiha Itachi-centric, Uchiha Massacre, team seven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2019-09-17 05:27:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 110,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16968516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaDreyar/pseuds/AnnaDreyar
Summary: She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything. Massacre AU - [ItaSaku]





	1. Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language. Forgive grammar mistakes.

 

She ran through the forest with all the energy and speed she had. She needed to reach the cabin hidden among the trees that was always her refuge to forget the loneliness, but this time she was running away from something much more scary, other children, evil children who wanted to do bad things with her.

Sakura kept running until she tripped over something and fell on the floor.

"You can't run fast enough, forehead." A tall, sturdy girl with black hair, mocked.

Sakura realized too late that it was not on a rock that she tripped, it was a foot placed on the path, on purpose. "Urgh." She moaned in frustration and tried to get up of the floor but was prevented by one foot firmly on her back. "Let me go. I did nothing to you."

The boy with the foot on her back laughed. "You're fun to play." He removed the foot and pulled her through of the pink hair until she was on her knees in front of him and the other two girls who now looked at the scene with a satisfied face.

"What do you want with me?" She asked in a shaky voice as she tried to keep the tears from falling.

"You'll find out." Another girl with brown hair and dark eyes said as she approached her, forming a hand in an unopened fist.

Sakura closed the eyes anticipating the blow without realizing that the tears she wanted so much to keep from falling, now flowed like rivers through her pale cheeks.

* * *

She did not know how much time had passed, but it was probably late and she needed to go home. She stepped out of the crouching position she was, lying on the floor of the cabin where she called a  _safe place_  where she had run after those children finished having fun at her expense.

She stood up and looked at the beautiful flowers that adorned the place and smiled for the first time that day. Flowers always made her feel peace. When she left the cabin she heard footsteps approaching, but she could not run, her feet remained rooted to the ground.  _'Not again.'_  She thought and prayed that they do not would destroy the only place she had for herself. Sakura took a deep breath and turned slowly to find a boy a little taller than she, with dark hair and eyes.

The boy was returning from training in the forest and from afar he saw the movement and approached to see who was on this isolated side of the densest forest of Konoha. He walked over to the pink-haired girl and watched as she stiffened and turned slowly to face him. He noticed the way her shoulders trained lightly in fear and how her eyes were swollen and red.

He concluded that she was crying and she was afraid, afraid of him. "I'll not hurt you." He said and took a slow step toward her. "Why you're crying?" He asked with curiosity and realized that she had the most beautiful shade of green gracing her eyes.

"I'm not crying." Sakura replied in the most courageous voice she could muster. Straightening her back, she took a cautious step toward the boy. "What do you do on this side of the forest?"

The boy smiled, he admired the way she tried to show courage even though she was afraid. "I was passing by and I saw you. No one walks around here, for that I chose this side of Konoha to train." He don't lost the way her eyes flashed in that last word.

"Train? Are you a shinobi?" She asked.

"Hn." He nodded in confirmation. "Now it's your turn. What do you do here?"

"I ... er ..." She looked toward a leaf curtain, catching the attention of the boy who walked there and opened the leaf curtain before she could stop him.

He looked closely at the glass and bottles with flowers, various ornaments decorating the small space that looked like a cabin. He looked at her and bowed the head as if asking a question without words.

Sakura realized he wanted to know. "It's my secret place." She said with blushed cheeks of shame and he noticed that several bruises were forming on the girl's face.

"Who hurt you?" He asked in a cold voice that made her shudder.

"I fell and rolled on the floor." She gave the same excuse she would give her parents when she got home.

He realized the lie but decided not to push. "Since I discovered your secret place, can I join you tomorrow?" He asked.

She thought for a few seconds and then he saw the most beautiful smile adorn the girl's rosy lips. "I will like that ... By the way, my name is Sakura. Haruno Sakura."

He could not contain the smile that took hold of his own lips and answered. "Uchiha Itachi."

* * *

Sakura came home bouncing which surprised her mother who was in the kitchen preparing dinner. "Something good happened?" She asked cheerfully, but preached when she saw the bruises on the face and arms of her little daughter. "What happened, Sakura?" Mebuki asked worriedly as she knelt before the girl, examining the wounds.

"I fell and rolled from a small gully." Sakura said in a low voice that sounded more like a whisper.

Mebuki sighed with relief. "For a moment I thought those evil kids bullying you again." She stood up and pulled Sakura to sit on a chair. "I'll take care of you and then finish dinner."

After Sakura gets fixed, it's the finished dinner. They sat down at the table and with the perfect timing Kizashi walked in the door with a happy smile. He joined them for dinner.

"Sakura-chan, you look radiant today. Anything good happened? "He asked in a cheerful voice.

"I made a friend today. He's a shinobi." She said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"A friend? That's great, honey." Mebuki said sincerely. She was worried about her five-year-old daughter having no friends and being bullying for the other kids all the time.

"I hope he's smart like you. Those other kids only upset you because you're smarter than them." Kizashi said thoughtfully. "How old is he?"

"I don't know, but I'll find out and tell you." She said as if sharing a secret, smiling genuinely.

* * *

Itachi walked slowly to home. He really wanted to know who had hurt Sakura. She seemed to be the age of his younger brother and he felt connected to her instantly. Which was terrifying for him, because the only person he'd ever cared about, was Sasuke.

"Aniki." Sasuke's voice interrupted his thoughts.

He braced the body for the impact of his younger brother's embrace. After a hug and hearing everything that happened on a exciting day of the five year old boy, Itachi took off his sandals leaving them in the entrance of the house and went to the room to wash.

He would train tomorrow and find the girl with pink hair.  _'Does she have someone to greet her with a hug when she gets home?'_ He was startled by the question that arose in his mind.

* * *

_The next day._

A little before the setting sun, Sakura ran anxiously toward the secret place, making sure she was discreet not to draw unwanted attention as she ran the streets toward the forest.  _'If I could run through the roofs like a shinobi, it would be easier.' A_ s she approached the shelter in the trees, Itachi was already there, sitting on the grass waiting for her. Sakura felt a smile pull at her lips before she could stop it.

"Hey." Itachi gave a half smile that did not even show his teeth and slammed into place next to him so that she would join him.

Sakura sat next to him and closed the curtain of leaves. "Hi Itachi. I'm glad you came. You know, I've never had any friends. It's good not to be alone. What do you want to play?"

Itachi blinked and sued everything she said. He grew up in the Uchiha clan, where people do not talk much, nor so excited. He felt something different warm his chest with the word she used.  _'Friend.'_

"How about I teach you to defend yourself so you don't let anyone hurt you again." He said.

Sakura gasped at his statement. "I don't ... how do you know?"

He pointed with the thumb to his own chest. "I'm a shinobi." He said the word like if explaining everything.

Sakura nodded in agreement. Watching Itachi in that short time she realized two things: He was a boy of few words and shinobi are perceptible people for whom she should not try to lie. "Teach me what you know Itachi-kun." She said with a smile and did not lose the glow of satisfaction that came in his eyes.

When he got up pulling her along toward the forest she remembered something. "Itachi-kun. How old are you?"

"Nine." He said without looking at her and continued dragging the little girl to his training place.

"It'll be fun." Sakura said with a laugh.  _'Thank you for being my first friend. Itachi.'_ She added to herself and smiled even more.

* * *

Itachi taught Sakura to hold a kunai and throw shurikens and he realized she was terrible with it. He had to suppress laughter all afternoon. But she was persevering and resilient, he would give it to her.

He taught her some evasion techniques. That would be more useful to her.

"I'm tired." Sakura fall on the floor. "I know, I know, I will not disappoint him."

Itachi narrowed the eyes at the little girl. "I didn't say anything, Sakura-chan."

She looked up at him as if she remembered he was there. "Oh, I know ... I was not talking to you, Itachi-kun." She said in a low voice trying to hide the nervousness.

"What were you talking about?" He asked curiously as he sat on the floor in front of her.

She looked at him for a few minutes thinking about how to explain.

"You can trust me if you want." Itachi said firmly.

She nodded once. The nervous countenance now replaced with confidence. "It's a voice in my head. She always talks to me as if it were... Like a..."

"She? So is a second personality?" He asked.

"Perso... what?" She asked and this time he could not hold back the laughter that bubbled out of his mouth.

"It's like a second part of you, but a little different the real you, I guess." He tried to explain even though he did not know much about it either.

"I think it's a second me. But she's brave." Sakura said pouting.

Itachi found it lovely. She reminded him a lot of Sasuke, but she was even cuter. "Since when does this personality talk to you?" He asked.

"Since these children have begun to bullying me." She said with sadness in her eyes. "That voice is my only friend. Mama and Daddy are always working and I have no friends." She paused and smiled. "I had not... Now I have you." She held his callused hand with her small soft hands.

He widened his eyes at her confession. He also had no friends. In that moment he thought that maybe he could allow, for the first time to do something for himself, no asking for authorization to the clan or the hokage. "I'm your friend Sakura-chan. You don't need that voice in your head anymore."

"Ok." She smiled even wider at him. "But how do I get her to leave?"

He sighed and thought for a moment before answering. "When you want to talk, let's meet here. I'll find a way to communicate with you." He said and she nodded.

"Comu... Comuni..." She stammered making him laugh again.

"Whenever that voice comes out, ignore it." He said firmly.

"Thank you, Tachi." She said biting her lip and he ruffled her hair. He smiled genuinely when she grimaced, so he thought messing up a girl's hair would not be nice to her. He looked at her for a few long seconds and placed two fingers on her forehead. She looked at him wide-eyed.

"You're welcome, Saku-chan." He said in a whisper.


	2. Approximation

Sakura was in her room, sitting in a chair near the window, watching the raindrops fall on the blurry glass. It had been a few days since she saw Itachi and two days ago the rain did not stop falling in Konoha, preventing any chance of a five-year-old child leaving home alone to go to the forest. "I hope the sun comes up tomorrow." She whispered to herself.

**"Why you're scared of rain? How do you expect to be a kunoichi if you're afraid of water?"**  Inner Sakura said in the back of her mind, making Sakura jump from where she was. The voice in her head had not appeared since Itachi took her to train for the first time. Hearing the voice again surprised her.

She remembered how Itachi had told her to ignore the voice as soon as it appeared, so she did the only thing that came to mind, she hummed.

**"Can you stop the irritant melody?"** Inner Sakura grunted.

She continued hummed, completely ignoring the second personality.

**"If you don't stop with-"**  Inner tried to say some threats but was interrupted by an even louder hummed.  **"Alright, you can be alone, see if I care."**  She screamed and disappeared deep in the mind of the little girl who continued humming and watching the rain fall against the window.

After one hour, when the rain turned into a drizzle, a black bird landed on the window parapet, tapping the glass with the beak. Sakura's eyes widened. Overcoming the shock quickly, she opened the window and pulled the black bird in, away from the drizzle. She put him in the chair under the window and ran into the closet to get a towel.

"Hey buddy, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked as she gripped the bird in her arms. She remembered an image she saw in an  _animal book_. "You're a crow, are not you?" She dried him with a towel. "I will call you  _Kuro_." She passed the towel on the bird's neck and saw that there was a paper stuck.

_Meet me at our place._

_\- I_

She smiled at the note in short writing.  _'Typical of him.'_

Sakura put on her boots and put on a raincoat, grabbed the black bird, putting him under the raincoat. Making sure the two of them would be safe against the drizzle, she ran out of the house toward the forest.

* * *

Itachi had left on a mission and was unable to warn Sakura through the crow, because of the torrential rain that fell on Konoha. When the rain finally turned into a drizzle he sent the bird with which he had a contract to tell Sakura to find him in the cabin.

He waited patiently inside the cabin until he saw the leaf curtain being opened and Sakura greeted him with a smile.

"I missed you." She said with a beautiful smile.

Itachi blinked and nodded. He had not yet become accustomed how ease she could showing all her emotions, while he could not.

"Kuro is yours?" She asked as she handed the bird to him.

"Kuro?" He asked, inclining the head with a curious expression on his face.

"I named him that." She said with a smile and took off the raincoat, sitting next to him in the futon.

"You named him. That was very thoughtful of your part." He said with a monotonous tone with which she was slowly becoming accustomed.

Sakura smiled even more. "He will be our means of commu-" Sakura stopped at that last word and grimaced.

Itachi could not contain the laughter that escaped from his mouth. "To communicate, Sakura-chan."

"Yeah." She said keeping the grimace irritated, for not being able to say a word that seemed so easy.

He thought she was adorable, he'd like her to meet his little brother, but surely their father would not approve of his younger son associating with a girl, civil, no-Uchiha. For a moment he wished his brother to grow up soon to make his own decisions.

"I'll let you keep Kuro." Itachi stated and saw the Sakura's expression changed from annoyance to surprise in a second. He would never tire of how expressive she could be, unlike anyone he knew.

"Really?" She asked expectantly, inclining the body closer to him, retrieving the bird.

"What does he eat? How can I take care of him?" Sakura asked one question after another without containing the excitement.

"I don't know, he's one of my summons." He answered.

"I will find out." Sakura said with conviction.

"I know you will." He lifted the lips in a movement that should have been a smile. "But the goal of having given him to you is for you to send me a message whenever you want."

"Oh." Sakura nodded. "So I just need to put the message around his neck like you did and send Kuro to you. How will he know where you are?" She asked, frowning.

"He will know. Some ninjas summons don't speak, but they all perfectly understand everything that is asked of them." He explained.

Listening that statement Sakura gasped. "Is he a ninja animal?" She asked in wonder.

Itachi nodded.

"And I can keep him?" She asked uncertainly.

"I have a contract with many crows, he will do whatever I ask for. I asked him to stay with you." He explained again.

"So he's ours now." Sakura said with enthusiasm. "I've never had a pet before..."

Itachi opened the mouth to say that the crow was not a pet, but he gave up when he saw the gleam of happiness in her eyes and the way she kept talking without stopping, not that he was paying attention anyway, Itachi realized that Sakura had a tendency to get lost in thoughts easily. That did not bother him either, it was just one of the things he found fascinating about this pink-haired little girl.

"The communication problem has been solved." He said, interrupting the endless rambling of her.

"So you're going to train with me now?" She asked, standing up and leaving little Kuro on a soft cushion that was on the floor of the cabin.

"It's raining, we can do it tomorrow if the sun comes out." He said firmly.

Sakura smirked at him. "I didn't think a shinobi like you would be afraid of a drizzle." She mocked and went through the curtain of leaves, running toward the area they used to train.

Itachi gave a grin full of teeth at the retreating figure.  _'She never ceases to amaze me.'_

* * *

At nightfall Itachi returned home covered in mud, with a silly grin on his face. He was remembering how much fun it was to 'train' in the rain with Sakura. If he was honest with himself, they were playing mud puddles more than training. But he did not care. Being with her was different, it was refreshing. When he was with her, he was not the heir of a important clan, the shinobi prodigy, a pride of Konoha and his family. When he was with her, he could be just himself. He was lost in thought that he did not notice the figure of a small boy with curious eyes staring at him from a corner on the doorframe.

"Aniki." Sasuke called out, taking Itaaghi out of his thoughts.

"Sasuke-kun." He nodded and passed for the little boy to the room to clean the mud.

"Aniki, why are you covered in mud?" Sasuke asked curiously. His older brother never got dirty at home, not even when he spent days out on a mission. He never had blood stains or dirt on his clothes. Sasuke found it out of the ordinary, especially by the smile that adorned Itachi's face.

"I was training." He said and kept walking to the bathroom, realizing that Sasuke was following.

"You never get dirty yourself into training." Sasuke murmured further to himself. Then he looked up, staring Itachi's eyes. "When are you going to train me?" He asked with determination and a little hope.

"I thought that father was training you." Itachi replied.

"He is, but..." Sasuke filled the cheeks with air, a grimace that made Itachi remember the little girl he left a few minutes ago. Unable to restrain himself, Itachi smiled, placed two fingers on his little brother's forehead, in that gesture Sasuke knew very well, a gesture that always preceded a rejection.

"I'll train you when father allows it, little brother." He closed the bedroom door leaving a frustrated boy outside.

After cleaning and changing clothes Itachi lay on the bed and thought about Sasuke's frustrated face. He wanted to train his brother. He wanted more closeness, but unfortunately their father was too rigid to allow Sasuke to be trained by anyone other than himself. Itachi tried to retort but this yielded one week of cold shoulder, after that he understood that this subject was indisputable. All he could do was wait for his brother to be six and go to the academy ninja, so Itachi could train him. Maybe he would introduce Sasuke to Sakura and the three of them could train together and play once in a while.

Itachi had long accepted that his childhood had never existed and that it would never exist since he was active during the third war and now he was training to be a jounin but he did not want it for his little brother. He wished Sasuke could play and be a child before graduating from the academy and taking a position at the police station next to their father.

It was with this thought of being able to do something to rid his brother of the horrors of war and the demands of the clan that he allowed himself to be involved by a sleep full of bad dreams.

* * *

Sakura returned home covered with a thin layer of mud with a volume beneath the raincoat. Mebuki considered for a thousandth of a second, letting the girl through her without explanation, but what kind of mother would she be if she did that. "Sakura, tell me there isn't an animal under your raincoat, my dear." She said quietly as she dropped the dishcloth on the table and walked toward her daughter.

Sakura smiled nervously. "Before anything else, mommy. Know that I will take care of him as you take care of me, cleaning any dirt he does and with him I will not be so lonely when you and Dad are away." She finished the brief speech with a small and expectant smile.

_'Smart girl.'_  Mebuki thought and let out a defeated sigh. She knelt before her daughter and said in a condescending voice. "Show me."

Mebuki froze in the place she was for a few minutes, she hoped there was a stray cat or a puppy dog, she might even expect a little fox from the forest, but not a crow. This was the last thing she hoped would come out of that yellow raincoat. After a few minutes of silence, with a small Sakura nervously and wide-eyed, Mebuki emerged from the stupor. "A crow." She stated in a flat voice, trying not to show how surprised she was. Mebuki thought about questioning why or how, perhaps where, but none of those questions left her mouth.

"He is Kuro." Sakura declared and ran to the bedroom leaving her mother still kneeling and silent in the same place. She did not care about the quiet state of her mother, she knew her mother would overcome the shock soon and she needed to find the animal book that was lost somewhere in her bedroom.

Entering the room she deposited Kuro on the bed and ran to the bookshelf that was in the corner of the room. She found the book she was looking for, without taking the eyes off the book she kept walking to the bed and sat down in front of Kuro, she looked up with a grimace. "I'm not feeding you worms or corpses." She mumbled a little angry.

"Don't give me that look." She grunted when she saw the way Kuro tilted the head at her.

"You're going to eat fruit." She said firmly, earning a grunt from the bird.

"Maybe I'll give you a little meat." She said with a defeated sigh, but she smiled as he walked over to her and lay on her legs. She stroked his head and smiled. "Fine, lots of meat for you, my little friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't be like the ninjas that hide in the shadows, leave a comment.


	3. The monsters

_A few months later._

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Itachi asked with a twinge of excitement in his voice. For untrained ears he still looked controlled and emotionless, but Sakura knew better, he was so expectant as she was.

"More than ready." She screamed and jumped with excitement. The next day would be the first day at the Konoha Ninjas Academy where she would meet the partners who would go to missions with her when they became genin, where she would learn a lot about the world and the life of a shinobi and where she would put into practice all that Itachi taught in the last months.

She had learned to throw shurikens, defend herself from attacks using a kunai, learned to meditate to improve chakra control, she almost managed to climb the tree once, to see the pride in Itachi's eyes was priceless.

"Sasuke will be there." Itachi murmured as he sat beneath a tree leaning against the trunk.

Itachi had talked about his little brother a few times, making Sakura fill him with questions he was happy to answer. Sakura could see the brightness in his eyes and how much love and pride Itachi had for his brother, but he also saw a small glimmer of longing when he told his father's rules and forbidding him to train the boy. She knew how much Itachi wanted Sasuke to have freedom like she had. Sakura knew in her heart that she would do anything to see Itachi happy, so she promised herself that she would approach Sasuke.

"We will be friends." Sakura said with conviction as she sat down next to Itachi resting her head on his chest, she sighed with satisfaction as he put an arm around her shoulders bringing her closer _. 'It's good to have him around.'_

"Meet me here tomorrow after your day at the Academy." Itachi said.

Sakura had long since become accustomed to his phrases that looked like demands rather than requests. "Yes, Tachi." She said a little sleepy.

He stroked her pink hair and waited until she fell asleep so he could take her home and lay her on the bed, as he used to do whenever the training took all her energy. He got used to it, got used to her presence. _'It's good to have her around.'_

* * *

The next day Sakura woke up early, dressed in black shorts and a green dressing gown, put on the boots, after eating breakfast and feeding Kuro, she placed shurikens and kunais in a bag tied at the waist and ran the streets toward the Academy.

On the way to the Academy she bumped into someone, falling on the floor abruptly. She got up irritably and wiped the dirt from her shorts, turning to the person in question ready to give a piece of her mind when she saw a blond little boy who seemed to be the same age that her. Looking at the shadow that covered the little boy before her, she realized that he did not bump into her, he was thrown into her by one of the citizens.

Seeing the scene in front of her, a adult man bullying a boy who could barely defend himself, Sakura redirected all the anger she was feeling about the fall, to that man and the other adults who were around them not moving a muscle to defend the boy being insulted.

 _'Sakura, always use your strength to protect those who can't protect themselves. So you will be propagating the peace'_. Itachi's words echoed in her mind and she found herself in front of the boy lying on the floor, standing between him and the merchant who was attacking him with a broom. "What is your problem? Why are you hurting an innocent child?" She screamed irritated, grateful to see the man lower the raised hand, ready to strike the helpless boy.

"He's not an innocent child, kid. He's a monster." The man grunted.

Sakura narrowed the eyes to the all adults. "The only monster I see here, is you." She said through gritted teeth. Ignoring the adults looking at her with obvious indignation, Sakura turned to the boy, ignoring the murmurings and protests, She hold out her hand to him with a smile. She waited for him to take her hand, but was surprised when the blond boy stood up and ran away from the crowd.

Sakura ran after him, reaching him easily and saw him as he was with a desolate face sitting on a swing in front of the Academy.

"Hey, why did you run away?" Sakura asked irritably and before he answered she released all the anger she was feeling. "I was defending you. What's the problem with you? Not even a 'thank-you'?! And you still leave me with my hand out like an idiot in front of all those people."

"I didn't ask you to defend me." He said in a defeated tone without looking into her eyes.

Itachi said she needed to control her impulses and analyze the situation before drawing conclusions. With that thought she sighed and let all the anger disappear slowly, kneeling before him, forcing him to look into her eyes. "I defended you because it was the right thing to do." She watched as he gasped at this statement and his blue eyes flashed with tears that ran down his cheeks like rivers. For the first time she noticed that he had marks that reminded her of cat mustaches. "It's okay, that man was a brute." She said trying to make him stop crying. "Hm, I'm Haruno Sakura."

He did not say anything for few minutes, but realizing she would not go anywhere he sighed. "You didn't hear them, I'm a monster. You need to stay away from me."

She tilted the head in confusion. "The only thing that I see, is a blond boy with blue eyes and scared." She said smirked.

"I'm not scared." He said indignantly, drying his eyes with the forearm.

Sakura laughed, she wanted some reaction from him that was not sadness and that's exactly what she got.

He pouted for her. "Why are you laughing?"

"Your reaction." She said and smiled even more. She got up and pulled him off the swing. "You're going to the Ninja Academy?"

The boy nodded and let her guide him inside the building.

When they passed through the gates he gave up resisting. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto" He said in a low voice. "Thank you, Sakura-chan." Naruto waited for some response from her, but did not come. The strange girl with colorful hair and beautiful eyes kept walking and pulling him with her. She did not look at him, but the grip on his hand grew stronger and somehow he knew she was smiling.

* * *

Sakura entered the room dragging Naruto by the hand and realized that they were receiving glances from other children. She did her best to ignore, if there was one thing she knew well, it was bullying. They passed by the children who were on the way and sat side by side at a four seat table.

After a few minutes she noticed that there was a boy one chair after hers. She watched as he was isolated in the corner, looking out the window, he had a blue high-necked T-shirt that was exactly like the ones Itachi wore. "Sasuke?" She did not realize what she had said out loud until the boy focused his gaze on her.

"Do you know him, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, making her look at him.

She denied with the head. "But we can meet him soon and be friends, what do you think?" She suggested sweetly.

"I don't think anyone here, besides you, wants to be near me." Naruto said sadly.

Sakura opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, he continued. "But it does not matter, because I came to the Academy to be the best shinobi this village has ever seen, and I'm going to become the Hokage one day. Believe in me!" Sakura watched as his smile grew with every word he added in the speech and in the end she caught herself smiling after he gave her the most radiant smile she had ever seen.

The boy on the other side watched as the pair next to him. He heard every word they exchanged and felt bad for the blond boy because surely his big brother would be the next Hokage. But he felt something warm his chest when that girl said they could be friends. He ignored the unfamiliar feeling and focused on the sensei who was entering the room at that moment.

* * *

The day turned out too fast for Sakura's taste, but she was excited to run to the cabin and tell Itachi everything. She said goodbye to Naruto who thanked her for the thousandth time for having defended him and for staying with him during class.

She watched Naruto disappear in the streets and ran toward the forest. Sakura was not surprised when she entered the cabin and saw that Itachi was already there, waiting for her. She walked into the cabin and lay beside him leaning her head on the same pillow where his head was. She saw the corner of his mouth rise a little, almost imperceptible. That gesture was what she needed to know he was interested in all the things that happened to her during the day.

She told him all about how she met Naruto and saw how his face twisted with something she could not figure out. When she said that the citizens called Naruto a monster and she questioned Itachi about it, knowing that he would know the reason, because she learned that Itachi knew everything about anything. He replied in a slightly less calm voice than it usually was. "You need to keep it a secret, Saku-chan."

When she nodded, he continued. "The citizens treat Uzumaki like that because he has something sealed inside of him." He took a deep breath and turned away so he could look at her better. "Do you know about the bijuus?" He asked uncertainly for the first time she'd met him.

She blinked a few times and found it odd how he was showing more emotion than he usually did. She thought this was a really valuable secret. "I read about it once, has a legend about a Sage of Six Paths, but I don't remember much about it." She said biting the lip in concentration.

He smiled and pulled a few strands of hair that fell over her eyes as she also turned sideways to face him. "You're a very smart girl, Saku-chan." He smiled even more when he saw a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. "These bijuus were sealed in people so that they could be controlled by the Hidden Villages where they reside, then-"

She interrupted him before he could finish. "Naruto has one of those monsters sealed in him." She said and sat up abruptly, putting a hand over her mouth to hide the shock that this information caused.

Itachi sat down beside her, not surprised that she understood even before he explained, she was a little genius in his eyes. "That's a secret, Saku-chan. You can't tell to Uzumaki, even if you approach him." He said it in a kind but firm tone.

She nodded and promised herself that she would not allow people to hurt Naruto for something he did not even know he had inside.

"Don't let that take up too much space on your little head." He said trying to get her thoughts off the complicated things.

"It's all right." She sighed and looked at him again. "I think I met Sasuke-kun." She changed the subject, doing his expression gained a little more joy. He inclined the head, indicating her to continue.

"I didn't talk with him... He was in the corner all the time, but I promise I'll get close to him tomorrow." She declared with conviction.

He nodded and lay down again, enjoying the little bit of peace he had. She lay beside him again and they fell into a comfortable silence.

After an hour of rest he remembered that he should go home to hear everything about Sasuke's day too. He sat up and realizing she was sleeping.

He stood, holding her in his arms as he smiled to himself.  _'She always does this.'_

* * *

Sakura woke up the next day in her bed, undisturbed knowing that Itachi had left her after probably falling asleep in the cabin. She rose rubbing the sleep from her eyes and saw a glimmer of red from the corner of the eyes. She sat down and reached for the red ribbon on the nightstand, and only a small paper fixed on the ribbon.

_For you_

_-I_

She smiled and pressed the red ribbon tightly to her chest. "Thank you, Tachi." She whispered happily

 


	4. Numb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

**Three years later...**

"Wait, Sakura-chan." Naruto wept as he tried desperately to reach the pink-haired girl.

"It's a tag game, Naruto. I can't let you get me." She laughed and kept running.

"It's all right." He kept running and changed direction. "I'll get you, duck hair." He shouted at Sasuke who was running and passed for Shikamaru.

"You can try, dead last." Sasuke screamed back seeing Natsu throw himself towards Shikamaru who mumbled about running games being tiresome and troublesome.

They gathered in the clearing and lay panting on the floor. Listening a few steps everyone looked up at the imposing figure in a black uniform with a light gray vest that approached them.

"Are not you too big for games?" The husky and calm voice questioned.

Sakura sat holding the urge to say that he was better in this game than anyone when he played with her. But she knew better that exposing that side of him to other children, including his younger brother, would not be appreciated by the elite shinobi Uchiha.

"Aniki." Sasuke stood up and wiped the dust off his clothes. "I just joined them because Sakura dragged me." He said pouting.

Itachi gave a half smile that did not even show his teeth and went out of the clearing that was next to the park. He blinked at Sakura imperceptibly to others and jumped into a tree with a sarcastic grin adorning the face when he counted to himself.  _'1, 2, 3.'_

"Anikiiiiii. It's not fair! I don't know how to climb trees." Sasuke screamed as he ran after his older brother who had an even bigger smile on his face.

"Come on, you catch us, Shika-kun." Ino said as she got up, pulling Chouji and the two of them ran again.

Sakura wasted no time pulling Naruto and Kiba away from Shikamaru who was standing up with a mischievous smile on his face.

* * *

That night after arriving home, before Itachi could take off the squad's uniform, another shinobi ANBU knocked on the bedroom window summoning him to a meeting at the Hokage Tower.

He sighed and followed the companion out. Lately he always shudders internally every time an ANBU approaches. He knew he was risking acting as a double agent against his own clan, but he had made the right choice according to Shisui.

He tried to convince his father that the Village needed the Uchiha clan, and that only made Fugaku lose himself even more in his thirst for control.

He hoped that Shisui could use the Mangekyou to change his father's mind and the other elders. Itachi wanted to tell Shisui and the Hokage that even manipulating Fugaku's mind would not be enough to calm the entire clan, the damage that mention of a riot would be beneficial to the clan Uchiha had already been made.

All he could do was follow orders and wait patiently for the unfolding of things. At least Sasuke had friends outside the clan, no matter what happened to the Uchiha, he would protect his little brother and if he could not be around Sakura would be. With that thought his mind completely changed for the nine-year-old girl, he was proud of everything she learned from him. He had told her to hide half the skills she had, because if anyone knew how good she was, they would question who she learned, if it came to Fugaku's ears that Itachi was wasting time with a civilian outside the clan, their friendship would be in danger. Not that he would anyway allow his father to stop them from seeing each other or that he did anything against Sakura, but to a shinobi, caution is never too much.

He would protect her from everything, including his father and clan. He would protect Sasuke from everything too. It was because of them that he agreed to pass on information about the riot that the Uchiha was planning for Konoha's council. He would not allow another war to begin. He would not allow the peace that was created at the cost of so many lives with the last war to end because of the foolish ambition of selfish old men.

He allowed all thoughts to leave his mind as he stepped into the room where the council and the Hokage were waiting for him for more information about his clan's plans. _'That will be a long night.'_

* * *

After a few days without seeing him, Sakura sneaked into the training grounds in the vicinity of the Uchiha District. She approached the place where she was feeling Itachi's chakra. She was hidden for some time until a kunai struck the branch next to her.

"Who's there?" A different voice called, causing Sakura to jump off the branch and walk toward the two figures they were training.

"Saku-chan." Itachi said with a twinge of surprise in his voice. He did not know if the surprise was that she had sneaked in without him noticing or because she was so close to the District where he lived.

"Tachi-kun." She said with a little shyness because of the persistent look of the other boy.

The boy noticed her nervousness and smiled to comfort her. He knew very well how people were intimidated by the simple presence of an Uchiha, but he was very curious about the intimate way she called his friend. "Hey, I'm Shisui." The boy a little older than Itachi said and reached out to her in a polite gesture.

"Oh, I'm Sakura." She said firmly, without breaking eye contact making the boy have a little respect for her. Her handshake was firm too.

"Nice to meet you, Saku-chan." Shisui replied with an even bigger smile, using the nickname Itachi said earlier.

Shisui's play was enough to get Itachi out of his state of surprise. He slapped his friend on the shoulder, surprising both Shisui and Sakura. "It's Sakura for you." Itachi said in the same calm voice as ever.

"Ouch." Shisui grunted in pain and rubbed his aching shoulder. "Easy, man." He murmured. "I'll meet Izumi and say you'll be there soon enough." Shisui said as he walked off the field. "Goodbye Sakura, it was a pleasure to meet the only person who can take a reaction from this guy."

Itachi ignored his friend and turned to Sakura, he sighed and walked towards a tree sitting near the trunk and tapping the place next to him so that she sat there. "I know I've gone for a some days. There's been very things at ANBU, I'm sorry, I promise I'll be sending messages more often."

Sakura sat next to him with a stupefied face. She had never heard Itachi say such a big sentence before, except when he was explaining or teaching something, and he apologized. Itachi never apologized for anything, ever. "What's happening with you?" She asked with genuine curiosity.

Itachi looked into her eyes and smiled genuinely at her. "I'm glad you're here." He said putting his arm around her, bringing her close.

Sakura knew something was bothering him a lot, but he would not say anything to her, or he would not have dodged her question. Then she let him come in and receive all the comfort she knew he needed.

After some time in silence Sakura bit the lip, took a deep breath. "Who is Izumi?" She asked in a low voice causing Itachi to raise his head to meet her eyes.

He gave her a smile that she could not identify. "A clan girl, we met at the academy."

"Hmm." Sakura lowered the head again.

Itachi took a deep breath and pulled Sakura closer into his embrace. "She's not you, Saku-chan."

That phrase was enough to take away that strange weight that had lodged in her stomach. She understood what he meant, as she always understood.

* * *

"He's been acting weird lately, Kuro." Sakura grunted at the bird that was sitting on the bed in front of her. She cut another piece of apple with the kunai and gave it to the bird. "You think so too, don't you?!" She questioned and watched as he tilted his head in agreement. "I knew it... I wasn't the only one to see it. He's more tense than usual and his face has fewer expressions than he usually does. Not that he's too expressive anyway."

She sighed and fell back on the bed resting the head on the pillow, feeling the weight of Kuro walking over her toward the apple and now rested in her hand. "Don't even think about it, you crook, half of it is mine." She laughed when he grunted. "Hn, don't be selfish." She bit the apple, completely ignoring the look Kuro was giving.  _'How can a bird have an indignant look on his face?'_  She asked herself. "You're definitely the most special bird in the world."

She stood up abruptly and handed the rest of the apple to him who thanked her putting his little paw of her hand and then returned to the delicious fruit that looked like the most interesting thing. "Do you think if I ask him, he'll tell me what bothers him?" She asked and he give a look that said everything she needed to know. "Yeah, you're right. He's going to say  _it's classified information_." She said the last part in her best imitation of Itachi's voice.

She lay down again with a defeated sigh. "He'll said eventually."

* * *

She was wrong. He not only said absolutely nothing as also he went missing for two whole months, leaving only small notes that were sent through Kuro. This left Sakura with a strange feeling in the stomach. Itachi never left her alone for so long. Something big was happening and she was scared.

 **"He's tired of you."**  A voice that was not strange that she had not heard for years said in the back of Sakura's mind making her gasp.  **"You need me. He left you alone for far too long."**

"I have Naruto, Ino, Sasuke and the others. I have Kuro." Sakura said in a whisper trying to convince this part that lived inside her that she was not alone.

 **"You have me too, I'm part of you. The smartest part."**  Inner Sakura paused and said in a defeated tone.  **"I miss him, too."**

After this statement, she lay on the floor of the cabin and let the tears she was holding for so long flowed down her face. She cried until she fell asleep.

* * *

Sakura woke up the next morning in her bed, completely confused as to how she got there. "Itachi?" She asked looking at Kuro standing on the window sill.

The crow's nod was enough for her. She jumped out of bed and walked to Kuro, taking him in a tight hug, ignoring the grunt of protest that came from him, when she brushed the hand she saw that there was a note attached to his neck.

_'Forgive me.'_

_-I_

"What the hell does he mean by that?" She screamed desperately and ran to the bathroom to get dressed, not noticing the blood stain on the back of her blouse. She wore a red top, a black shorts, the boots and tied the red ribbon in her hair. Taking one last look at Kuro she ran out the window toward the gates of the district where he lived.

She had never stepped there before, they always met in the cabin or in their training camp. He said it was best to keep away from all the clan clutter. Even so, he showed her how to get there and said exactly where his house was. Knowing exactly where to go she ran through the trees and quickly reached the place where she hoped to find him.

She came down from a tree and landed in front of the gates of the Uchiha District, looking down from the entrance she noticed that there was not much movement inside, nor was there a person in sight. She took a few steps inside when she was stopped by a agent ANBU. She gasped with surprise and cursed in her mind about those sneaky shinobi.

"I'm here to see a friend." She said looking into the man's eyes in front of her. She realized that one eye was the sharingan like Itachi's, but the other was dark.  _'How can he activate only one sharingan?'_  She wondered.

For a moment she saw the man's shoulders tensing and he led her out of the gate. Then he knelt before her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She noticed that he was taller than Itachi and had a gray hair that moved in strange directions. She stopped thinking when she heard the muffled voice on account of the mask say. "There are no more Uchihas, kid."

She looked inside the gates and noticed for the first time various blemishes and puddles of blood scattered around the streets and the walls of the houses. She took a step back trying to keep calm and analyze the situation, but before she could open her mouth to questioned, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped in front of her. She did not even notice that the agent with gray hair stood behind the Hokage, or that more agents were close to them. At that moment she did not notice anything else.

"Were you friends with one of the children?" Hiruzen asked in the most sympathetic voice he had.

"Itachi." She whispered coming out of a state of stupor. Then she raised her voice. "Itachi... Sasuke, where are they?"

"Were you close to Uchiha Itachi?" An old man with a white band covering one eye asked her directly. She stared at him for a minute realizing that he was not a man she could trust. When he turned to Hiruzen and whispered something low in his ear she said. "No, he's Sasuke-kun's brother, Sasuke-kun and I are friends." She said it with conviction, not letting the nervousness she was feeling to appear.

"Sasuke is in the hospital, you can visit him. I'm going to announce what happened with the Uchiha clan, you and the rest of the village will know soon, child." Hiruzen said in a calm voice.

Sakura nodded and ran away. That man next to the Hokage was spooky. A man who could leave a child to an interrogation and torture officer was not a good thing. She raised the chakra in her ear to hear what he said to the hokage that moment.  _If she was close to Uchiha Itachi we should subject her to an interrogation with Ibiki._ She ran faster as far away from him as she could _._

Once again in her short life she thanked Itachi for the training and congratulated herself for the perfect chakra control.

* * *

Sakura ran as fast as she could to the hospital, she needed to see if Sasuke was okay. She needed to see Itachi. She was feeling her throat tighten with an uncomfortable knot.

Arriving at Konoha Hospital she jumped in the window where she felt Sasuke's chakra. She walked over to the bed where he was sitting staring at the wall, in a catatonic state.

"Sasuke?" She said cautiously approaching slowly.

"What are you doing here, Sakura? How did you know I was here?" He said in an emotionless voice as he looked at her.

"I'll... It doesn't matter." She said in a whisper and walked to the bed sitting next to him. "What happened, Sasuke?"

"He killed them all, Sakura." He said in a broken voice.

She noticed he was trying to hold tears. There was only a little that a nine-year-old could bear, shinobi or not. If all that blood meant what she thought it meant, then there was a massacre in that district where Sasuke was probably one of the few survivors.

"Who did this, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, putting her hand over his for comfort.

"Itachi." He spat the name and Sakura never saw so much hatred and despair in a single glance before. "Itachi killed the whole clan, he killed my parents, he left me alive because I was nothing to him."

Sakura gritted her teeth and felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. She tried to calm the breathing that suddenly became irregular. "Itachi wouldn't do something like that." She stated with such certainty that she surprised herself. "He is an ANBU, committing murder on the orders of the hokage is the duty of a shinobi, for the good of the village, but hurt his own family, his clan. Itachi would never do that, Sasuke..." She stood with the hand on her chest trying stop the pain that was growing there. "Itachi would never hurt you like that. He loves you more than anything." She declared.

Sasuke looked at her as if she had gone crazy. "He killed my parents, I saw him hovering over their dead bodys, he said that in my face!" He gritted his teeth. "You did not know him, you don't know anything!" He screamed. After a few seconds he calmed down "Go away, Sakura. I want to be alone."

Sakura was too stunned to argue. For a moment she remembered that she had never told Sasuke about her meeting Itachi. She jumped out the window surprising Sasuke with this ability. She ran through the trees toward the secret place in the forest. She put as much chakra as she could muster on her feet, she ran until her calves burned.

Sakura looked around for him, looking at training ground and cabin, reaching the conclusion that he was nowhere to be found. She looked at the blue sky and tried to feel some tranquility with the stillness that was around her.

She felt as if she had lost a piece of her heart from so much it hurt. She dropped to her knees in front to the cabin where they used to laugh and talk about anything. She remembered the silly grin he gave her whenever she could do something he taught. The looks they exchanged as they lay side by side to rest after a long mission. The times he carried her home when she slept in his arms, then she would wake up but pretend to sleep so as not to break the contact even though she knew he knew she was faking it.

She feared that if she closed the eyes she could hear the sound of the laughter he rarely let slip. Then she remembered the note he left her. 'Forgive me.'

"What did you do, Itachi?" She said to herself, not recognizing her own voice. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you trust me?"

She screamed until her throat ached and then she lay down on a ball on the floor and cried desperately.

When she woke up a few hours later it was early afternoon. There was no one to take her home this time, no more silly talk or training, no more Itachi, there was nothing.


	5. Moving on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas :-)

He was broken. He entered the old hovel that was used as a hiding place for the Akatsuki, being guided by the man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara. That damned orange-black-spotted mask was making him even seasick. In his three years at ANBU he has never seen so much blood.

"That's your room. We'll talk tomorrow." Madara said, pointing to one of the doors that were in the hallway.

For some reason he did not regret asking for that man's help, even though he knew he was a bad person. He did not want to have to do it alone even though he knew he could.

He entered the room without question, closing the door behind him. He took off his bloody uniform, wearing only his boxers and a black regatta, he laid into a bed that was in the corner of room below a small window.

He looked at the moon that looked more red than it should have. He closed his eyes trying letting out the terrifying images of the mind. He let his thoughts wander about everything he did a few hours ago. He opened the eyes and watched the rain fall outside, the drops hitting the windowpane. Amekagure was a sinister place where the rain never stopped falling, your new home.

He was feeling a bitter taste on his tongue after the horrible words he said to Sasuke. He needed Sasuke to hate him, knowing his brother was the only way he could move on, abandoning all the devotion he had once felt for the older brother. He did not want Sasuke to hate him, but that was what needed to be done. Breaking the  _ties_  was the only way for them to move on.

 _Ties_. Thinking about Sakura, he headed for the cabin in the woods after threatening Danzo and making sure Hiruzen did everything to make Sasuke to be taken care of, and when he arrived he saw the girl lying on the pillows with swollen eyes. She had cried. He did not want to think it was because of him. He would never make Sakura cry purposely. He sighed regretfully and carried her home, laying her on the bed and covering with the duvet. He looked at her one last time and kissed her forehead.

It hurt leave she behind, she would feel it too, this hurt, but she would hate him anyway when she discovered what he did. He took Kuro with him when he left her room. He feared that someone would identify the crow as one of his summons and associate them, the last thing he wanted was to bring trouble for her. When he reached the gateways of Konoha he changed your mind by placing a note on the bird's neck, he sent Kuro back. She  _loved_  Kuro, taking him away would be too cruel. He had already committed too many sins.

 _Love_. He sat on the bed looking at the blood stains at the tips of his fingers where the gloves did not cover. He felt the bile rise, but struggled to push it back. He did not want to sleep, the images would come, he knew it. The face of understanding of his mother would haunt him for eternity. The encouraging words that his father said made it all very difficult. He killed his parents. He was a  _monster_.

 _Monster_. That was exactly how he felt. He was a monster who killed an entire clan in one night. Children, elderly, women, innocent people. All those killed in the name of peace, to prevent a civil war, and in the near future, the fourth shinobi war, some innocents were killed that night to spare even more people to be killed. No matter how many justifications he created in his mind. He was still a monster and would be known as one until his days were over.

Maybe he could get Sasuke to kill him and become a hero, returning some peace of mind and justice to his little brother. Yeah, that would be the last good thing he could do for Sasuke, turns him into the hero who killed the killer of clan Uchiha.

And Sakura... Sakura would be better off without him.

With these last resolutions, the thirteen-year-old boy lay on a hard bed in a cold room, and when he let the head fall on the pillow he felt something sliding down his face, for the second time that night, Itachi cried. He cried until the sobs filled the empty room. He never felt so lonely. In a few hours sleep enveloped him and this time there were no dreams.

* * *

The next morning arrived too fast, sleep did not serve to rest the body or the mind. With every hour spent during the night Itachi was sure that sanity was leaving him little by little. He got up from bed to a door that was attached to the bedroom, which he imagined was a bathroom. He took off his underwear and turned on the shower, he let the water wash away all the blood and dirt that were impregnated on his skin, rubbing hard with the hope that something else would go away along with the water, he just did not know what, maybe the blame.

A knock on the door took him out of the thoughts, he heard the bedroom door opening and closing a few minutes later. When he finished the bath and entered the room there were clean clothes on the bed, black pants and a knit shirt, typical of ninja use and a black cover with red clouds. The ANBU uniform was far from visible, he expected someone to burn it along with the memories of last night.

Upon finishing dressing and fixing the cover the resolution that he was now a missing ninja and an official member of the Akatsuki organization fell on him like a pile of bricks.

He left the room, finding the orange masked guy standing in the hallway with his arms folded. "Come on Itachi-kun, the leader is waiting for you."

Itachi looked at the man and met his only eye with ferocity. Itachi's face said that he did not believe for a second that there was a leader beyond Uchiha Madara and that any foolish person who thought the opposite deserved to be used by him.

"You're a smart boy." The man said to make Itachi know that he understood what his expression meant and Itachi was sure that this man was really an Uchiha, so he could understand so well a phrase not uttered in words, or he was as intelligent as your Sakura. But he still did not believe he was who he claimed to be. He knew that Uchiha Madara died a long time ago, everybody knew. He would eventually find out the truth behind this.

"Don't call me Itachi-kun." It was the only answer he gave, making the man laugh.

* * *

That afternoon the Hokage publicly announced that Uchiha Itachi was a missing ninja who murdered his clan and joined a mercenary organization whose goals were unknown.

After recovering from the collapse she had in the forest, Sakura walked up to the courtyard of the hokage tower and found a tall, leafy tree that could hide her, she heard the speech that lasted a few minutes. The courtyard had only agents ANBU and jounins and she knew that by the end of the day the whole village would know what had happened.

She wanted to see Sasuke, but she could not bear to hear him speak about Itachi as if he were a monster. She knew Itachi well enough to know there was so much more about this event than the Hokage was declaring. She was determined to discover the truth that she knew existed, so she created a plan in her mind and would only need to have the patience to put it into practice. Sakura was a impatient by nature, but she learned from Itachi that if you really want something, you need to be patient and know how to make the correct moves to achieve.

She would wait, patience is a virtue that precedes victory.

* * *

**Three years later...**

Sakura woke up on the morning of March 28 with the same expectation as last year. Since Itachi had left, he did not send a single message after that, asking for forgiveness, but every year he sent a bouquet of flowers.

She felt her heart come alive again the first time Kuro flew out the window and entered the room with a small bouquet of red camellias flowers fastened on the neck. There was no note, but the flowers that meant  _fidelity_  were enough for Sakura to understand that he still thought of her and was faithful to their friendship, she did not need words, Itachi never liked to use words anyway.

Sakura sat in the chair below the window and waited until Kuro landed on the parapet carrying a bouquet of white camellias. Itachi knew how much Sakura loved these flowers, he knew the meaning because she told him when she was five. She caught the flowers smelling the perfume and smiled unconsciously.

Giving a piece of fruit to Kuro as a thank-you she pulled the bird into lap, he lifted the head in a gesture of rebellion, earning a nudge in the head. "Fruit now, meat at dinner." Sakura said firmly. After a second of hesitation he accepted. "So how's he doing?" Sakura asked stroking his back, not receiving any response. "He told you not to tell me anything, did he?" He gave her a look that confirmed her question. She knew that Itachi instructed Kuro not to pass information of any sort on where he was and what he was doing, but she would ask anyway. At the moment the important thing was that he was alive and still cared for her.

In a few days it would be the graduation test in the academy. She trained a lot with Naruto and they always joined Sasuke when he was in a slightly less sour mood. They would be genins soon, and they would do it together.

Sakura approached Sasuke with great effort when they entered the academy, and after the massacre of the clan Uchiha he tried to isolate himself from everything and everyone, but she would not allow it. She convinced Naruto to help her pull him out of that depression that was threatening to swallow him. Naruto managed to bring down Sasuke's defenses and get under his skin, only being Naruto. Sakura was grateful for the day she bumped into that boy. He kept her sanity after Itachi was gone, she never told him about Itachi, but Naruto was always there for her and she would always be there for him and for Sasuke.

* * *

Due to some divine mercy she stayed on a team with Sasuke and Naruto and discovered that their sensei was a man lazy that was always late and had the ridiculous habit of reading books with dubious themes in front of twelve-year-old kids.

Their presentation was the first impression that the guy was eccentric. Naruto made the speech of becoming Hokage and chattered about ramen, she declared her taste for flowers and birds, her displeasure for injustice, and abstained from divulging her dream. But when Sasuke said that his dream of murdering a man, she felt a shiver run down the spine. She loved Sasuke, but she loved Itachi even more and would not let them hurt themselves, even if it cost her own life. She stared at his profile for a moment after that statement, it hurt to see how much he looked more and more like his older brother.

She was still recovering from the bell test, thanks to the training they did together it was not so hard to get them, if you disregard the thousands of bruises, scratches they had and the pain in every muscle in the body. Unfortunately there were only two, so Sasuke had the bright idea of breaking it into several parts dividing so that the three of them had a piece. To say that Hatake Kakashi was surprised by their ability and the way they looked after each other was euphemism. Sakura swore she could see a small tear in the man's visible eye.

"How about you pay us lunch now, sensei?" Naruto shouted enthusiastically. "I want Ichikaru. What do you think, Sakura-chan?"

"I think it's a good, Naruto. We didn't eat breakfast and you only brought two lunches, Kakashi-sensei. I suppose you were sure one of us would fail." She stated with a smile on face.

"Hn." It was only Sasuke's contribution to the dialogue, but he had a smile at the corner of his mouth that indicated the amusement he was feeling.

"Well, you got me. You're the first team to pass this test." Kakashi stated, making the three pair of eyes widen in surprise.. "I'm happy for the way you guys worked together. I'm going to pay for this ramen, come on." He said and headed toward the village without turning around to see if he was being followed by them.

The three of them stared at each other for a second and then smiled. "We're the best team." Naruto shouted and ran after Kakashi. Sasuke and Sakura followed quietly a few steps back.

 _'We're a good team.'_  Sakura thought proudly.

* * *

Itachi walked through the forest of the Fire Country and went through a plantation of lilies.  _'Sakura would love that.'_  He imagined for a moment his little Sakura lying in that sea of yellow lilies and felt the corner of his mouth rise. He missed her so much it hurt. Whenever he saw the flowers she used to use to decorate the cabin a glimmer of pink filled his mind. She certainly became a genin now, with a bit of luck or an arrangement on the part of Hiruzen, Sakura, Sasuke and that boy Uzumaki would be on the same team, after all it was one of his requests to hokage before leaving Konoha.

He kept walking toward where he would find Konoha's contact. He always passed on relevant information about Akatsuki's movements, after the organization began to move around and cause problems, in exchange for information about Sasuke. Sometimes he could barely suppress his will to ask about Haruno Sakura, but to ask about her would raise suspicions about their relationship and put her in danger if this information were to fall into the wrong hands. He did not trust Hiruzen completely, the hokage was carried away by the friendship and consideration he had for Danzo. And Itachi learned the hard way that Danzo was a dangerous man.

"Itachi-san." A voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Jiraya-sama." He bowed slightly to Sannin. "The parchment." He said and handed a red parchment to the man who accepted it with a smile, keeping the parchment in the sleeve of the robe he wore

"You're not taking good care of yourself, boy." Jiraya said with a twinge of concern in his voice. "Your dark circles in the eyes, give you."

"Some demons torment at night, Jiraya-sama." Itachi said in the same calm and serious voice as ever.

Jiraya gave a defeated sigh. He always knew that a shinobi faithful to his village would make sacrifices, but Itachi's sacrifice seemed larger than everyone in his eyes. "His brother is graduated as a genin a few weeks ago and is teaming up with Uzumaki Naruto and a pink haired girl who will surely become something when she grows up."

Itachi clenched the teeth so hard that his jaw hurt. He said to himself in his mind it would not be prudent to punch an older man, a sannin, an ally of Konoha.

Unconscious of the irritation that gripped the sixteen-year-old boy in front of him, Jiraya continued with the information. "They have Hatake Kakashi as sensei. He was your senpai at ANBU, wasn't he?"

Itachi nodded. Jiraya laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Itachi-san. Sasuke will be well taken care of. I've heard that he and his team take good care of each other." With that affirmation Itachi sighed in relief and thanked for the information, leaving without looking back.


	6. Smell of Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for information I watched Naruto when I was 14, looong ago. So forgive me if the sequence of events is wrong at some point. If the mistakes are too hard to swallow, let me know and I'll fix it.

**Months Later - Exams Chuunin.**

They knew they should be prepared for any danger. They heard from Anko that they should be ready not to come back alive from that place, but words did not prepare them enough for the hell they were facing.

Team seven found themselves in front of a Grass kunoichi who attacked them relentlessly in the forest of death. They fought for hours together, deflecting the insane attacks from that damn woman who seemed to be interested in nothing but damaging them as much as she could. After being tired and almost without chakra, the woman turned out to be the legendary sannin Orochimaru, and when Sakura saw a glimpse of pride in Naruto's eyes for being facing a sannin and still breathing, breathing hard but still breathing, she was more than surprised when she saw the man's neck lengthen and reach Sasuke's neck leaving a mark through a bite.

After being left behind by that psychotic sannin with a warning that other ninjas at his command would come later, almost no chakra, many injuries and few weapons, Sakura and Naruto had to watch helplessly as Sasuke moaned and suffered from pain. Sasuke suffered with pain and high fever all night while Sakura and Naruto did their best to keep him safe.

When the morning arrived they were attacked by the ninjas of the country of Som who were under the orders of Orochimaru to take Sasuke with them. Naruto and Sakura fought hard against the three ninjas, getting a victory, even having cost a new haircut to Sakura, it was worth to keep them away from Sasuke.

After the nightmare in the forest of death, the genins faced their adversaries in the battle that would determine which of them would become chuunins. Sakura faced Ino and the two fought with taijutsu for a while until Ino tried to get into the mind of Sakura who was alerted by her Inner. Acting faster than her blonde friend, Sakura threw a genjutsu on her leading the fight to a quick end, taking Yamanaka out of the exam. Naruto faced Kiba and Akamaru, and even at a disadvantage, he won. Sasuke did not participate in the first stage due to the indisposition after Orochimaru's attack.

After the end of the first part of the battles, Naruto sought help from Kakashi to train for the second stage, but was assigned to Ebisu-sensei that made Naruto suffer unnecessarily. During training with Ebisu, Naruto encountered the legendary sannin, Jiraya, and convinced the old pervert to train him, wearing a sexy jutsu.

Sakura was also lost after the victory in the first battle and asked Kakashi to train her for the second stage of the exams while the boys were out of sight, but just as he refused to train Naruto, he also refused.

Refusing to accept no as a response Sakura retaliated. "I have to endure all your delays, your obsession with this stupid book and your unwillingness to train me, when all your dedication is put on the boys. You owe me, you pervert" Sakura screamed angrily. "Stop being a lazy and help me!" She took a few pounding steps toward him, incursing him into the wall of a building near the Hokage tower where she had intercepted the shinobi.

"Right, Sakura-chan." Kakashi said defeated. "Two days of training, so I need to train Sasuke too, when he wakes up. Meet me early on the bridge tomorrow." He disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Sakura woke up as early as she could, had a reinforced breakfast, and looked at the clock. Not being in disposition to wait at least three hours for her sensei, Sakura looked at Kuro with a smile on face and jumped out the window with the bird next to her.

For the first time in his adult life, the copy ninja, Hatake Kakashi, arrived at a place on time. He walked across the bridge to the pink-haired girl who had a cocky grin on her face. "This is yours, I suppose." Kakashi said in an irritated voice.

Sakura smiled and picked up the black crow that was perched on her sensei's shoulder. She narrowed the eyes for Kakashi. "Kuro isn't  _this_ , is  _him_." Then she smiled. "Oh, come on, Kakashi-sensei. Don't be angry about that, Kuro is a great alarm clock and you're on time for the first time in your life." She stroked the top of Kuro's head.

"I agree to train you and you pay me like this." Kakashi shook the head pretending deception. "You have no idea how traumatic it is to wake up with this sinister bird pecking at your window. I thought it was death calling me."

"Kuro isn't sinister! He's adorable." Sakura protested, gaining a look from Kakashi that said that bird was anything but adorable. "You complain more than Naruto." Sakura followed him toward the training grounds.

"Now, that was more unpleasant than sending your bird to wake me up, Sakura." Kakashi said with a twinge of smile in his voice, making Sakura laugh.

* * *

Sakura surprised Kakashi with some genjutsu techniques he had only seen on ANBU, she performed perfect jutsus and once again impressed him with incredible chakra control.

He stopped with the hands on his knee and a little gasping in the middle of the clearing. "Okay, Sakura-chan, you're going to tell me who trained you, because of course you held yourself during the training we do as team seven."

Sakura sat on the gasping floor and remained silent. But Kakashi would not give up easily. "Fine, if you will not tell me, I can find out ... I only know one person who could have taught you these genjutsu, you have a crow as a pet, but you still have not learned summoning jutsu and you were in the Uchiha District for three years asking for... "

"No!" Sakura screamed, interrupting him. "Don't say that out loud, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi took a few steps and sat on the grass beside her looking into the green eyes trying to figure something

Sakura looked at him and sighed. "You were the agent of ANBU that day. I discovered the first time I saw your sharingan in a single eye, in the fight against Zabuza." She smiled up at him. "Your hair is unmistakable." She sneered, running a hand through his shaggy hair.

"Stop this." Kakashi laughed as he took her hand from his hair. "You can't change the subject, Sakura-chan."

Losing the fight against insistence. "He trained me since I was five years old, Kuro is our mean of communication... or he was, we never exchanged messages after that." She said in a defeated tone.

Kakashi was silent for long minutes trying to hide the shock that struck him after that statement.

"I still believe him, sensei." Sakura broke the silence.

"Itachi was a good partner when we worked together at ANBU. I never believed that he did it simply to measure his ability, as they said." Kakashi said keeping his voice low.

"He didn't do!" Sakura said with such certainty that Kakashi swallowed, knowing she would not change her mind no matter what anyone said.

Kakashi studied her for a moment, analyzing everything. "That's a complicated subject, Sakura, don't get involved. It's an order from your sensei."

Sakura did not want to disappoint him, but he gave confirmation that she needed to not give up, if someone who knew Itachi as well as his captain at ANBU believed there was something more behind all this history, then she would go to the end. She ignored the demand, got up off the floor and stepped into a defensive position. "Come on, Sensei, we only have two days."

Kakashi gave a defeated sigh, knowing Sakura and his stubbornness, he was sure that she would never rest until she discovered everything. Then he said nothing and threw himself at her with a kunai.

* * *

The second phase of the exam battles arrived fast. Naruto defeated Neji, in the name of Hinata, making the Hyuuga boy lose some arrogance. Sakura defeated her opponent from another village and Sasuke recovered, appearing at the last minute with the always late Hatake Kakashi for the battle against Gaara of Sand.

The battle between Sasuke and Gaara was interrupted by the attack on Konoha by Sand and Sound.

In the middle of the attack, there was a fight between team seven and the demon of one tail, Shukaku, ending with Naruto and Gaara staring at each other in a duel where they both had a headache and a new friend.

The death of the Third Hokage by the hands of his own student, Orochimaru, who did not give up having Sasuke's body, surprised everyone in Konoha. The exams chuunin were disregarded and the village had too many losses to question this decision.

* * *

A few days later, when team seven returned to the village of a mission in Tea's country, Sasuke and Naruto fought on the roof of the hospital, causing Sakura to run between them and Kakashi separated them before they killed themselves.

After the incident, Kakashi took Sasuke away and Sakura knew he would reprimand him for trying to kill his teammate. Sakura would never tell this to Naruto, but she saw the hate in Sasuke's eyes and she knew that chidori had enough strength to kill, when the rasengan that Naruto used, had not. She stayed with Naruto until he slept and went to visit Rock Lee who kept her close until late at night.

When Sakura was walking home at the hospital, she found Sasuke walking toward the village gates with a backpack. Sakura asked him about coming out of the village late at night with a backpack big enough for a week-long mission, in response he said he was leaving Konoha to go to Sound's country, in search of Orochimaru.

She recovered from the shock and decided she would not let him do this crazy thing. "Sasuke, please don't do this. Will you leave everything and everyone behind and follow the monster that attacked your village?" Sakura asked.

"I want to stay strong and I have nothing to leave behind." He took a few more steps toward the gates.

Sakura felt her jaw tighten unconsciously and clenched her fists tightly. "Me and Naruto, are we nothing to you? Is that what you mean, you little brat?" She said through gritted teeth. "Everything we spend together and all the things we..."

In the blink of an eye, Sasuke was behind her. "Sakura, you talk too much when you're angry." He said in a whisper and hit the back of her neck, making her faint. He set her down on a bench and brushed hair from her face. "I'm so sorry."

"No Sasuke, I'm sorry." Sakura's voice said behind him making Sasuke gasp before falling into the darkness.

* * *

Sakura entered the cell and saw Sasuke sitting on a bed in the corner, she sighed when she saw him blindfolded and hands bound. Sasuke's hands rested on his lap and he was leaning against the cold wall. She sat down beside him but kept on the edge of the bed and put a spoonful of soup on his lips, he opened it without question.

Sakura sighed again and placed another spoonful of soup in his mouth. "You can hate me now, but you'll thank me when you see that it was best I didn't let you leave." She said and continued to feed the prisoner.

"Hn" It was the only response he gave and having enough experience with the monosyllable Uchihas, it was easy to understand that he said he would not hate her until he heard the explanation.

"Naruto and Jiraya-sama returned with Senju Tsunade, they convinced her to become the Fifth Hokage." Sakura said trying to break the silence. "Naruto will see you later."

"Will I stay here forever?" Sasuke said angrily.

Sakura set the empty bowl aside and leaned against the wall beside him. "Kakashi-sensei told me that he will train you for some time out of the village if you still want to get stronger. Anko goes with you for awhile to help you with the accursed seal and teach you some techniques that she learned from Orochimaru."

"Why did you stop me, Sakura?" He asked.

"I couldn't let you leave to follow the killer of the hokage and become a traitor to your country." She took a blindfold from his eyes and looked at him. "And I can't let you kill your own brother. It will not bring peace to you, as you think will happen."

"Kakashi told you that Itachi came back?" Sasuke asked and seeing her wide-eyed surprise was enough to know she did not know. "He came to Konoha a few days after the attack, to get Naruto. I tried to fight him, he told me that I was weak because I didn't feel hate enough. If Jiraya had not appeared, Itachi and his partner would have taken Naruto."

Sakura felt her jaw tighten. For a moment she thought that Itachi came in the name of the organization in which he was, but she wondered why come after Naruto and why hurt Sasuke even more. The only reason they had an interest in Naruto would be ... No, Itachi would not do that to Naruto. He knew how much Sakura cared about the boy. She stuttered trying to form a coherent phrase. "He..."

"He's bad, Sakura. I never understood why you defended him that day at the hospital, but itachi is..." He was interrupted by her hand in his mouth.

"I will not let hate consume you, Sasuke. Itachi loves you, I know he loves you." She dropped the hand.

Sasuke sighed and bowed his head in defeat. "Sakura, you're very naive." It was the only thing he could say.

* * *

One week later Tsunade officially assumed the position of Hokage, freeing Sasuke from prison, ignoring his alleged betrayal, since there was no real damage, releasing him to go out with Kakashi and Anko.

"When you return?" Sakura asked after hugging Sasuke with all the strength she had.

"If you don't kill me crushed, maybe I'll be back soon." He sneered.

"Idiot!" She threw her pout and took a step back by standing next to Naruto.

Kakashi laughed and ruffled her pink hair winning a slap in the hand that made him laugh even more. "If all goes well, we'll be home in one year."

"I'll be back in a few months." Anko screamed as she headed for the gates walking toward the road.

"That's our cue." Kakashi followed Anko through the gate and waved over his shoulder.

"Sakura... er ... thank you." Sasuke said scratching the nape of his neck, with a pink shadow staining his cheeks. Then he turned to Naruto and assumed a serious face. "Take care of her, Naruto." Without waiting for an answer, he walked behind Kakashi and Anko. He heard something like. "I always looked after her, you bastard." and "I don't need anyone to take care of me." Making a smile emerge on his lips before he could stop it.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Sasuke left, Naruto came in through the window of Sakura's room, narrowly avoiding a kunai that flew directly to his head.

"You tried to kill me." Naruto shouted indignantly.

"You invaded my room, thanks it was only a kunai." Sakura said with her nose in the air, completely ignoring the sad face he made.

"What would be worse than a kunai on the forehead?" He asked, sitting down beside her on the bed.

"Kuro could pierce your eyes easily." She said softly, making Naruto gasp.

"Kuro wouldn't do that to me." He said, his voice a little wary.

"If I order, he would." She said with a mocking smile. Naruto looked at Kuro, who was resting on a pillow in the chair beside the bed and swallowed with the look the bird threw at him.

"You're scary, Sakura-chan." Naruto cried.

"I do the best I can. Now, what brings you here?" She asked with genuine curiosity.

Naruto opened the mouth a few times, closing soon after. Sakura narrowed the eyes suspiciously but waited. She heard that he was leaving the village with Jiraya to train and the news did not surprise her after Sasuke talked about the Akatsuki coming after him, it would be the right thing to do, send him away from Konoha with someone very capable of defending him to make him strong enough to defend himself in the future.

"I'm not upset, Naruto. If anything, I'm happy for you." She said with a smile to reassure him.

"I promised to Teme, that I would take care of you, Sakura-chan." Naruto was bowed, as if embarrassed.

"And I said I can take care of myself, right?" She put her hand in his for comfort. "And let me remind you, it's me who protects you." She sneered.

"Oy, what do you..." When he saw the look on her face, he knew exactly the intention with which she said it. Sakura would always take a different reaction from him when she saw him sad. He assumed, at least to himself, that it was always she who took care of him, but he would never say it out loud, especially in front of the Uchiha bastard.

Sakura searched in her heart for the answer that would give more comfort to the friend. "I'm going to get stronger too, and when Sasuke comes back we'll be a team again." She smiled and hugged him as hard as she could.

"That's a promise, Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered in her ear and she knew that when they saw each other again, there would be no team stronger than them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love your comments, really!


	7. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

Sakura was lying on the bed looking at the ceiling deciding if it would be easier to convince Shikamaru to train with her or make a cow to fly. The only genins good enough for a decent fight were he and Hyuuga Neji, since Lee was still hospitalized, and she doubted too much that the prodigy with lilac eyes would give her the time of day. Her other friends were strong, but if she wanted to grow up like Naruto and Sasuke she would need a challenge almost as good as Kakashi and Jiraya.

"Okay, Kuro, come on, if he refuses to fight me, I'll threaten him with you." She jumped out of bed and put on her boots with a determined look on face.

A knock on the door made Sakura reach for the kunai that was tucked under the bed. When she saw the mother come in the room, she decided she was getting paranoid as she remembered Itachi was, and decided she needed to relax inside the own home.

"Darling, this letter came to you." Mebuki handed the small envelope to the girl and walked toward the bird perched on the window parapet, Mebuki would never admit it out loud, but she learned to love that weird bird. She would always give him meat, when Sakura was not around to scold her for spoiling him too much.

Sakura thanked and opened the envelope with the Hokage's seal. She read the letter that was a convocation to a meeting with Godaime that afternoon. She was very surprised about what the fifth Hokage might want with her. Deep in her mind she heard Inner mourning for missing an afternoon of threats in the eyes of Nara Shikamaru.

* * *

That afternoon, Sakura ran as fast as she could to the Hokage Tower hiding the anxiety that was eroding her since she received the convocation. She greeted the guards who opened the office doors indicating that Godaime was waiting for her. At the office she walked to the table where the blond woman, with a relatively larger bust than most women had, sat in the chair in front of the table with the hands on the lap, trying to pass the image of an kunoichi educated and professional waiting for the Hokage say something.

Tsunade looked up from the pile of papers that flooded the table and stared into the green eyes of the pink-haired girl in front of her. "Haruno Sakura, I called you here because, according to Hatake Kakashi, you're the only genin who is without the supervision of a tutor or sensei, since your companions and sensei left a few days ago. Hatake came up to me asking me to take you under my tutelage. I suppose you have no objection to this arrangement, right? "

Sakura blinked a few times and tried not to stutter and play idiotic role in front of the most powerful woman she'd ever heard. She bowed, and lost the look of surprise that took over the woman's face. "It will be a great honor to learn from you Hogake-sama. I have no words to say how much I'm flattered."

Tsunade smiled. "After Hatake's request, I did a research on you, Haruno. According to your score on the chuunin exams, I decided to promote you, just like I did with Nara Shikamaru."

Sakura lifted the head and gasped at this statement. She knew that Shikamaru had been promoted to chuunin even after the exams were canceled, but she knew it was because the bastard was a genius beneath all that laziness.

Sakura felt the eyes widen before she could stop. "Promoted to chuunin?" She said with all the composure she managed to muster despite the shock.

Tsunade did not even blink. "You're officially a chuunin and you're on my guardianship from today. Now that we're clear, I'll see you here, tomorrow on the first hour, don't be late, Haruno." Tsunade said in an authoritative voice that made Sakura shudder.

"Hai, I'll be here at 6 am" She said firmly and turned to leave.

"At 6 o'clock on my watch, not at 6 o'clock at the time of Hatake Kakashi." Tsunade said through gritted teeth, making Sakura laugh.

"Kakashi-sensei's eccentricities were not passed on to his students, Tsunade-sama." Sakura said with a smile and realized that all the tension in the room suddenly disappeared.

"That's good to hear, I'd be worried if I saw three thirteen-year-old kids reading dirty books around the village." Tsunade said with a smile and Sakura thought that all that initial intimidation was just a facade.

Looking over the shoulder, Sakura asked one last question. "Hokage-sama, was Kakashi-sensei who persuaded Jiraya-sama to take Naruto with him?" She suspected that Kakashi cared for them much more than he appeared.

Tsunade smiled again and nodded.

Sakura left the office without another word, but inside she was shouting with euphoria at the new events. She could not believe that she would be apprentice to the best medic-nin and fighter of the five nations.

Tsunade looked at the spot where the pink-haired girl had been minutes ago and thought of everything Hatake Kakashi and Iruka had said about her. Perceptive, discreet, perfect chakra control, genjutsu specialist...  _'This girl has potential.'_

* * *

Sakura woke up the next morning as soon and she got ready in record time, she did not want to risk being late and disappointing the woman who made available to train her. She was trying to keep down all the anxiety that had dominated her since the day before, the idea of learning new jutsus was filling her with anticipation.

The day before, leaving Tsunade's office, she ran to a bookstore and bought all the medical jutsus books she found available, leaving all the money she got from the last mission there, so she promised herself would take advantage of and absorb every little information contained in those pages.

She stepped into the Hokage's office and bowed to Tsunade who smiled at Sakura and introduced her other apprentice, Shizune, who was a jounin, Hokage's assistant, medic-nin, and poison specialist. Sakura was amazed at all the things she learned the first day.

The next day Tsunade took her to the training grounds and Sakura learned to focus the chakra in specific places releasing it in the last second of the impact to cause more damage to the target. She broke all the bones of the hand and learned how efficient Shinuze was in rebuilding bones and tendons.

The days passed, and she was glad Kakashi had bothered to leave her in the care of such a powerful and efficient person, but whenever she came home from training she lamented for not training with the person she really wanted.

Sakura was able to resuscitate the first fish after three days, which Shizune said was a feat. Every morning she trained medical ninjutsus and read almost all the scrolls and medical books that were in the library of the Hokage Tower. In the afternoons, Tsunade would take her to the training camp and carry her leather, literally, with all the physical training.

After four months she gained the trust of the Shishou to the point the woman teaches her the secret fūinjutsu she developed. She showed Sakura how to contain and store chakra and in a few years she would have enough to release the Yin seal. It was an indescribable honor to learn such a rare and powerful jutsu.

* * *

A month after Sakura turned fourteen, she had taken the Jounin exam, Tsunade ordered her to be on a team with Nara Shikamaru and Hyuuga Neji, they passed with praise in theoretical and physical tests, but the  _genius trio's_  nickname was getting annoying to the three prodigies.

They were coming back from the first mission they had been given to Windy country, and Sakura was irritated by spending two whole weeks in that place where the sun did not shine.

"How can a place have clouds covering the sky all the time?" She murmured irritably to herself.

Neji laughed for the first time in two weeks and Shikamaru mumbled something about a troublesome place for which he did not want to come back anymore.

Sakura was surprised to hear the sound of the always stoic Hyuuga's laughter that could not contain the words that jumped out of her mouth. "I didn't know you could laugh." Sakura was hoping to get some reaction from him, since the boy seemed to be more stoic than she remembered Itachi was.

Shocking her completely with a genuine smile. "I can laugh, Haruno-san. I can show emotions like everyone else."

"You know, you can call me Sakura,  _Neji-kun_..." She said to tease him and laughed out loud as a frown took over his features.

"Don't let her get on your skin." Shikamaru nudged Neji with the elbow in the ribs lightly. "She got reactions from Uchiha Sasuke, you're a piece of cake for this troubled girl."

"Who are you calling troubled girl?" She shouted, standing in front of Shikamaru, preventing him from continuing. "You know what, let's spar!" She smiled wickedly. "It's getting late and we have to camp anyway."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at her. "I take it back, you're not a troubled girl. You're the least annoying girl in Konoha."

She narrowed her eyes back at him. "Considering that you only conviver with Ino, it's no compliment I be the least annoying, Shika-kun."

He laughed and sat down at the root of a tree. "Sakura, I'm tired, I don't want to fight." She watched as he closed the eyes in a clear movement to ignore her.

"I should have brought Kuro." She mumbled and sat next to him, resting on the tree trunk.

"Who is Kuro?" Neji asked with curiosity overflowing in his voice.

"A friend." Sakura said with a smile in her voice.

Neji narrowed the eyes at the evasive response but decided not to question, he did not like to meddle in the business of others, especially when the person clearly would not like it.

Shikamaru opened the eyes and if he was not so lazy he would have laughed at Neji's almost frustrated face for Sakura's evasive reply, so he decided to take the poor man out of his misery. "Is a bird."

"Oh." It was the only response from Neji and he wondered why Sakura would bring a bird on a dangerous mission, but decided not to question it either, he would eventually find out, since they had become members of the same team, meant that they would become close with each mission they did together.

"Thanks to Kami you left him at home." Shikamaru grunted after a few minutes of silence, keeping the eyes closed. "You know, Naruto was right. You're scary when you want be."

"Naruto..." She whispered. "Do you know if Tsunade got news from him or Sasuke? She's not going to give me no clue about where they are." Sakura whined.

Neji sat across from them in the nearest tree. "She does this because she's afraid you'll go after them on a mission."

Sakura tilted the head in curiosity about where did he get that information and reflected on this new information, after a few minutes she concluded that Tsunade was not a Hokage for no reason. "She's right, I would do that."

The three laughed completely unaware of the pair of eyes that watched them from the short distance.

* * *

One year after of the promotion to jounin, Tsunade called Sakura in her office and made a request that sent her mind into a frenzy and the heart racing with the thought of being so close to getting what she wanted.

Tsunade waited for her to lean back in the chair in front of the large table that was littered with papers and parchments. "Sakura, you know I don't trust completely on the people who integrate the Council, and that man, you know who, have the intention on knocking me down." Tsunade said in a voice that made Sakura want to hug her. She knew her shishou was a strong woman who survived losses that would make anyone else go insane. Sakura never judged the habit of gambling and drinking that Tsunade had, because Sakura knew how difficult it was to keep a healthy mind after losing someone precious. She could only support Tsunade and help her keep Konoha safe, in honor of the memory of the precious people she loved and lost.

Sakura looked into her eyes and held the hand on the table trying to convey that she was not alone. "I'll do whatever you ask me, Shishou."

Tsunade sighed heavily. "I need someone reliable inside that place." Sakura nodded knowing it was Danzo's ANBU. "The elders asked me, more like they order me, to send some new members there. I know those old couple and I know they're suspecting Danzo too, even if they allow themselves to be manipulated by him sometimes." She bit the lip and looked at Sakura with an apprehensive look. "Sakura, all the men and women in that place have been there since childhood or adolescence, but everyone is loyal to him and I know he will not put that jutsu on your tongue because he would raise suspicions with me and the elders, but that man always uses whatever method to get what he wants."

Sakura squeezed the Tsunade's hand more strong and refrained from asking what kind of jutsu could be placed in the tongue of a person, not really wanting to know what this jutsu does. "I'm not going to let him use any jutsu on me. I know how to take care of myself, Shishou. I'll do it, I'll be part of ANBU Root."

Tsunade nodded but there was no bright smile or joy this time, only a worried and uncertain face about sending her appreciated apprentice to spy a snake in his own lair. "I knew you wouldn't refuse, but I'm reinstating an old member to help you. He's not on good terms with Danzo, but I bet you two will take care of each other."

Sakura could only nod and hope she had not made a decision she would regret in the future.

* * *

Two days later, Sakura met with the ex-member of ANBU Root that Tsunade had assigned to be her partner. When they had to meet Danzo she saw the animosity between the two men, instantly.

After picking up their masks and uniform and leaving the building without any word from Danzo she whispered to the new partner. "Why did you come back, Yamato-senpai?" She was really curious why he would go back to a place he left voluntarily.

He looked at her with the same unleveled look he always had on his face. "Hokage-sama asked me."

"So it's just another order..." Sakura murmured to herself but stopped walking when she realized he had stopped on the trail and looked at her with a different look.

"I know you're precious to Hokage-sama, Haruno-san. I also know you're precious to the village too and you've saved my life before. I've dealt with Danzo-sama and I know I can take care of you." With these words he continued walking without seeing if she was feeling him.

Sakura ran to reach him. "Sakura... Call me Sakura Yamato-senpai." She felt a weight leave from the shoulders when she saw a small smile on his face.

She gained a little more courage to continue the conversation. "So... why did you leave?"

She watched as his jaw tightened and she felt a shiver as he stared at her with sharp eyes, she thought it was a little scary the way he looked sometimes. "I received a mission that I didn't find it right to conclude."

Sakura nodded and did not look away. "You will not tell me, do you?" She insisted, trying to gain the confidence of the man who said would take care of her from now on.

He sighed and pulled her to sit on a secluded bench in the park. "You're so curious, Sakura."

"I've already been told..." She said with a giggle.

"I was ordered to take the sharingan from a person, but that person had saved me before and I couldn't complete the mission." Sakura noticed that he was tense and she knew he was uncertain about relying on her with any information about him or his previous activities in the squad.

"I'm sure you made the right choice." She comforted him and decided she would not push anymore.

"The person... was Kakashi-senpai." He said after a few minutes of silence.

Sakura looked at his face but he was still looking forward without looking at her. "Kakashi?" She whispered and smiled. "So I'm sure you made the right decision."

Yamato noticed that she opened her mouth a few times and having heard so much about this girl from Tsunade and Kakashi he decided to get her out of the discomfort since he would be stuck with her for a while now. "Danzo-sama told me to steal Kakashi's sharingan, because it would be easier than attacking an Uchiha, but he didn't count..."

"...that Kakashi was Kakashi." Sakura interrupted him and laughed as he smiled at her. Then she leaned closer to the new partner and whispered as if she were conspiring. "Danzo made a mistake by underestimating Kakashi-sensei, and he may be making the same mistake again, now."

He understood that she was referring to them and for a moment he thought it would be good if someone had the courage to try to bring down that man.

"Come on, Sakura. We have to meet the other member that Danzo-sama has appointed for our team." He got up expecting her to follow him, as they were approaching the doors of the Hokage tower where the third member was waiting, Yamato decided to alert her. "Sakura, don't trust anyone." She nodded, understanding the warning perfectly.

They approached a boy who seemed to be the same age as her, he was pale and wore a cut-off blouse in the middle, showing part of his belly and back, and he had a completely empty expression on his face.

"Are you my new team?" He asked even knowing the answer because of the uniform that the pair carried in their hands.

Yamato and Sakura nodded and moved closer to the peculiar boy.

He looked at them for a few seconds and gave the more false smile that Sakura had seen in all life. "Call me Sai."


	8. Going Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter belongs to Evanescence.

Sakura was sent on a long mission with the ANBU team. Danzo was probably testing their work as a group before putting them in jobs that demanded more confidence.

In the three months she spent with the team, she learned that Sai was a very misunderstood and antisocial boy. Sakura learned that Sai and Yamato were random names chosen for missions outside the walls of the ANBU Root property, because members created in the organization had no identity. She was profoundly affected the methods used within the organization to select the children that would be most appropriate according to Danzo's sickly taste.

Sai was a talented and cold shinobi and it took Sakura a long time to get a genuine smile from him, it took two months, a lot of insistence, a few punches and the acquisition of an annoying nickname on his part, but she felt it was worth it. She and Yamato were able to break the blind devotion he had to the leader, but unfortunately, thanks to the jutsu that Tsunade had mentioned, Sai could not say anything about Danzo to them.

As soon as they returned they reported to Danzo, shortly afterwards Sakura and Yamato gave Tsunade a report. In the late afternoon she left the Hokage Tower and was lost in thought as she walked home on the shortest path, she walked so long toward the forest that led to the path to house, she did not realize that had reached the place where the the old cabin was. She looked around and felt a sharp pain in the chest as she opened the curtain of leaves and stepped into the place where she had not stepped on for years.

After Itachi left, she would go to sleep a few times in the cabin and spend some time training in the old training camps they used, waiting for him to appear at any moment, she always kept her senses on alert for the smallest trace of his chakra. But after years without a glimpse of Itachi, she could no longer be in those places without feeling that damn pain in the chest.

His absence was painful. It hurt a lot to remember all the things they lived together in that place where only they knew.

She took the dead flowers from the bottles, walked through the forest and picked up new flowers to replace them, shook the dust of the red futon and the cushions that were on the floor and put them in the little sun that was still in the forest to take the smell of mold who settled down, when night finally fell, she lay on the futon inside the cabin and let the numbness she had not allowed herself to feel for so long involved all.

It had been a long time since Naruto and Sasuke left, the daily training and long missions with the new team, spent most of the time helping to distract the mind during the day, but the night always came loaded with loneliness.

She lay down long enough to feel suffocated inside where she once found peace, then she ran home, jumping through the trees fast enough for the wind to howl in the ears, a few tears fell down her cheeks, but she ignored .

When she reached the bedroom window, she jumped in and looked at Kuro who was sleeping. Even her beloved bird reminded of him and the fact that he would never return to her.

She walked over to the bed and stared at the ceiling, waiting for the sleep to come and wrapping it around, confirming that she had survived another day. She forced herself to sleep at the thought that tomorrow there would be more training that would make strong enough to get to where she planned and accomplish the goal of bringing Itachi closer once again.

* * *

 _You don't remember me, but I remember you_  
_I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you_  
_But who can decide what they dream? And dream I do_

* * *

_She ran jumping on the branches through the dense forest as fast as she could following the long-haired boy in front of her, sometimes he looked over his shoulder and smiled crookedly. "Come on, Saku-chan, you'll never reach me if you continue like this." He said with a hint of grin in the voice, causing her to accelerate even more and despite wanting to yell at him to stop and stand beside her, she did not find her voice. She reached out as she was close enough to at least grab the sleeve of his shirt and bring him closer to her once more, but as soon as the tips of her fingers found his arm, he disappeared, leaving her alone one more time._

Sakura woke up panting and ran the hand over her face, feeling the sweat dampness on forehead, wiped furiously, and looked at the clock she saw that it was still 2am.

"It was just a dream." She whispered to herself as she leaned back against the headboard, squeezing the eyes tightly to recompose.

* * *

 _Have you forgotten all I know and all we had?_  
_You saw me mourning my love for you and touched my hand_  
_I knew you loved me then_

* * *

After one hour rolling in the bed trying to get back to sleep, she gave up and got up from the bed, trying not to make a sound and wake the crow sleeping peacefully in the chair under the window.

She walked around the room which was dimly lit by moonlight and saw the reflection in the mirror that was in the middle of the wall near the desk, she got lost while facing at the image the mirror was reflecting. Sometimes she did not recognize the girl in front of her, who seemed so strong outside, but inside she was almost broken. "Your absence is breaking me little by little." She whispered to the image in the mirror as if by some miracle he could hear and sympathize with her, taking her with him to the place where he was.

Walking to the desk she used to study the jutsus and ninjutsus her master taught, she lit the lamp and looked at a piece of blank paper lost in the middle of the books. She thought of writing something to him, but did not know exactly what to say at first, she just had to let go of all those stifling feelings that made her chest tighten constantly.

She needed him to know what she was feeling and feared that sanity would leave her at once. Her second personality always filled the mind with ideas and Sakura did the best to keep her down most of the time, but when loneliness enveloped her and dreams would not let her sleep, as now, she could not stop feeling that she would go crazy at any moment.

She wondered if he ever thought she could move on after he left her without a single explanation as to why he did it all. She wanted him to be in front of her to shout at him saying that he was so wrong to think she was strong enough to go on without him.

She wiped away all thoughts not wanting to write something that made him feel as awful as she was now. She did not want him to feel guilty because she knew he had too many demons to torment him without her putting more burdens. She never wanted to be a burden to him, so she never asked for much, nor questioned the subjects he did not want to talk about. Having him around was enough. He was the first friend, the best friend, the first mentor, he was everything to her.

* * *

 _I look in the mirror and see your face_  
_If I look deep enough_  
_So many things inside that are just like you are taking over_

* * *

Itachi was lying on the cold floor of a cave near the land of the Mist, recovering after another reconnaissance mission that did not end well, that cold dawn made him tremble under the black cape that did not seem so thick at the moment.

Tired of feeling the teeth beating because of the cold he lifted and made a bonfire using the few dry branches he found and using a simple fire jutsu, he rubbed the hands in the hope that the incessant friction would make the heat appear faster. This would be another night when sleep would surely not be near.

He leaned back against the cold wall of the cave as close to the fire as a rustle of wings caught his eye at the place leading to the entrance of the cave. He felt his eyes widen in surprise when he saw Kuro flying toward him. The crow would only appear when he called him, which he would not do until tomorrow. As the bird snuggled into his lap, he thanked for the contact, any additional warmth was welcome at that moment. His mind turned to Sakura, she would always save him, even if she was far away and had no idea she was doing something for him.

Itachi stroked the crow and felt something stuck in his neck, he took the paper that was stuck on the leash that Sakura put on the bird's neck. He unrolled the paper, surprised to see that Sakura had sent a message when she knew that if someone from Konoha intercepted the crow, she would be arrested for treason.

**_My dear black crow,_ **

_'It's been so long, my cherry blossom.'_ He sighed with regret, feeling the weight of the time that had passed so quickly without him having the chance to touch her.

_**It's been over seven years, seven years since you left and I still feel like I can't move on. It's as if you've taken a great part of me when you left that night. I'm still alive, but most of the time I don't feel the life, just a numbness. And I always wonder if you feel that way too. I miss you so much that sometimes I close my eyes and pretend you stand beside me looking at me as when we lay side by side in our place after a day of training.** _

_'I feel that way too.'_  He closed the eyes for a moment allowing the familiar pain to fill his chest, that pain he always felt when he allowed himself to give way to repentance of the choice he had made, lamenting for everything he lost.

**_During the day is always easier, the company of other people is a distraction, but the night always comes. And I wonder if you have someone by your side during the day to distract you._ **

He thought of his teammate who was waiting at the base of the Akatsuki. Kisame was not a bad company, but that did not matter, as Sakura said the night always comes.

_**Night is when things get worse, especially when dreams don't let my mind forget you, the worst of all is that these are not nightmares, these are dreams where you always smile and hug me, but when I wake up you're not there and this is where the nightmare happens. And I wonder if you miss me.** _

He felt the jaw tighten unconsciously. "She dares question if I miss her." He grunted out loud gaining a look from Kuro that made him feel even worse. At that moment he was sure that the loyalty of that bird was more to Sakura than it was to him.

**_After all these years the only image I still have of you is the one I recorded in my mind from our last meeting, you're leaning against that tree in the training camp, in your uniform and your black hair in a loose ponytail with some wires falling over your red eyes, so hypnotizing._ **

He remembered that meeting that was two months before he had to choose to massacre his clan or let a civil war fall on Fire country. She was so beautiful acting shyly in front of Shisui and when she showed jealous in the mention of another girl's name he could not contain the smile that rose to his lips, it was at that moment that he realized that he was in love with her. This frightened him terribly, he was thirteen and she was nine, it was almost sick. But he would wait until she grew up, he would make her fall in love with him too and then he would convince the clan that she was a good acquisition for them, but two months passed and he did not see her, and then lost her forever.

**_I'm going to be sixteen tomorrow, I bet you've already picked the flowers that will send me through Kuro, so I sent him to join you tonight, I wonder if you feel as alone as I do._ **

He looked at the camellias that were far from the fire and for a moment he wished she was beside him so that neither of them had to be alone anymore.

**_I don't want any more flowers, I want you._ **

He saw a wrinkled spot on the paper, where he was sure a tear fell when she wrote that phrase. He had not felt the urge to cry for seven years, but he held back the tears this time, it would not do any good and would not make the time back to change the mistakes that he committed.

**_I'm sorry, I just wanted you to know that I know you're still the same, I know much more thing happened and I can't talk about it in case Kuro gets intercepted, just know that I believe in you. I'll always believe in you._ **

_'Does she believe in me?'_ He felt the pain disappear slowly.

* * *

 _I believe in you_  
_I'll give up everything just to find you_  
_I have to be with you, to live, to breathe_  
_You're taking over me_

* * *

The next morning Sakura woke up late and thanked for being Shizune who would be waiting for her today because Tsunade could not stand the delays and Sakura learned it in the most torturous way possible.

She left the bathroom drying the hair in a towel and did not realize that Kuro had come back, for a few moments she thought about how she had been out of her mind last night and how she allowed the sadness to engulf her to the point where she had the courage to write and send a letter to him knowing that he would not respond, regardless of whether she had risked sending the letter.

 **"Acting on impulse always brings regrets."**  Inner sang in her mind.

"You're all wisdom now, are not you?! But in the last night who dictated half of that damn letter?" Sakura screamed in the empty room and heard the grunt that Kuro let go calling her to reality. Kuro would always reprimand Sakura when she talked to herself, because somehow that sneaky bird knew that it was the second personality trying to get the best of her.

She threw the towel on a chair and walked to the window picking up the bouquet of flowers, this time it was not camellias, it was red roses. Sakura stood for a few minutes looking at the flowers that were a symbol of love between lovers and trying to ignore the way her stomach tumbled, she put the roses in the vase with water she had prepared last day. Kuro lowered the head so that she saw that there was something else this time and Sakura gasped when she saw that around his neck was a necklace, Itachi's necklace. She pulled the necklace along with a note that was stuck in one of the silver hoops and read.

_'I'll always be with you'_

_-I_

She only realized that a warm tear had run down the cheek as the drop fell on the small paper in her hands. Itachi sent a note in response to her letter, and she remembered that he never took off that necklace after he had won it from a gift so precious to him. The pain in the chest and the remnant anguish of the night before disappeared slowly.

 **"He still cares..."**  Inner whispered and Sakura could only nod with a smile on the lips.

* * *


	9. Re encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

A black-clad figure with a gray vest and porcelain mask jumped through the tree branches, increasing the amount of chakra in the feet and ran as fast as possible to reach the designated destination. Feeling the blood pulsate in the veins to the point of hearing the accelerating beat echoing in the ears, ANBU Special Forces agent could only think of the opportunity that this mission presented to personal plans.

Accelerating further as the energy of some familiar chakras approached quickly. The anxiety of the re encounter and the expectation of where this mission might lead took all the self-control necessary to maintain the serenity.

The masked figure approached the group of four men who came at high speed through the tall tree branches in the forest, purposely raising the chakra so they would not assume that were an enemy and attack unnecessarily. Faster than expected, they approached, bringing the resolution that she was not the only one to become more agile in recent years.

Hatake Kakashi took the leadership position of the group and approached with caution. "Kitsune-san." His voice echoed through the forest breaking the silence.

Sakura smiled under the fox porcelain mask, watching as Kakashi still kept the necessary formalities in front of an ANBU partner. "Kakashi-senpai." She said it out loud, without revealing emotion or removing the mask, as the good agent she was.

"Maa, Kitsune-chan... What happened to  _sensei_?" He said with a smile beneath the annoying blue-navy mask.

Sakura immediately gave up the formalities and lifted the mask, but held it above her head. "I'm on a mission, and you have not been my sensei for a long time, Kakashi-  _senpai_  ." She smiled back at him, though the smile was small and barely reaching the corners of her mouth.

"Ooh, la la". Jiraya's voice joined in the conversation, making Sakura narrow the eyes at the pervert man of the white-haired in front of her. When she saw his hand lift slightly toward parts where she did not want to be touched by him, Sakura growled, causing the man to retreat immediately.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto exclaimed when he out of the state of stupor that was put on after seeing Sakura for the first time in three years. Sakura looked at the blond-haired friend and almost smiled when she saw how his voice had changed as well as his height. She tilted the head to the side, analyzing all the changes in him, including the outfit. After a brief minute of scrutiny, she realized that the years were generous with Naruto.

"You're two years late, boys." She said putting the hand on the waist and her most frightening voice, congratulating herself internally on how the three men she knew so well shuddered a little.

"You did a lot without us." Sasuke's thick voice said as Sakura turned to him. Just as she did with Naruto, she took a some time to analyze the changes in Sasuke and was shocked at how much he reminded her of Itachi, with the biggest hair, the hardest eyes and the height that changed drastically, she decided that black clothes looked good on him, as well as looking perfectly at Itachi, should be an Uchiha thing.

"You're drooling, Sakura." Sasuke said with a wicked grin.

"Oh, shut up." She said at the same calm voice, trying to hold back the laughter that wanted to escape bacause his teasing. She thought of some more witty answers, but realized they were wasting a lot of time. Straightening her back and taking on a more serious face. "You have to report to Hokage as soon as possible and get the order parchment to follow me on Suna. It will be our first S-sorting mission... together." She added the last word belatedly, causing Sasuke to raise an eyebrow, indicating that he realized it was not her first high class mission without them.

Kakashi assumed the same upright posture and frowned, making Sakura realize that he was curious about what could be so serious as to require them to leave before they even arrived. "What happened?" He asked in a serious, slightly concerned voice.

She closed the eyes for a few seconds and sighed. "The organization called Akatsuki attacked Suna and kidnapped the Kazekage." Sakura tried to hide the sadness as she looked at Naruto. "I'm following before you to save the life of Kankuro who was attacked by one of the members of Akatsuki trying to recover the Kazekage. You find me there until the end of the day so that we can follow the mission. The Hokage will explain everything when you arrive ".

"That's why you found us halfway there." Kakashi stated instead of asking.

Sakura nodded. "We're wasting time here, we can catch up when the mission is over." She turned the eyes to Naruto. "Gaara is the kazekage of Suna."

Naruto gasped and his blue eyes flashed with a slight despair. "I'll go with you, Sakura-chan." He said with conviction.

Sakura let the whole expression fade from her face. "No! You're going to report to the Hokage and meet me there before nightfall." She stated firmly and left so quickly that the four men hardly followed her with their eyes.

"I knew she would become a thing when she grew up." Jiraya said after a few seconds that Sakura left, doing all the weight of the information she gave, fell.

"You old pervert." Naruto screamed in disgust and frowned at the ero-senin he normally admired when he was not being a pervert.

"She's ANBU." Sasuke stated trying to hide the surprise, completely ignoring Jiraya's madness.

"What you've been waiting for... have passed three years. Sakura has potential and was trained by the Hokage." Kakashi said as if he was not surprised and continued the path toward Konoha running as fast as he could, followed by the others. "And you're still genin." He said with an amused tone in the voice, glancing over his shoulder at Naruto and Sasuke.

"EEEEEEEH," Naruto shouted indignantly.

Kakashi could swear he heard Sasuke growl at some point.

* * *

Sakura arrived in Suna four hours after meeting the old team and could not deny herself that she was impressed by how the two boys grew up physically, she could not wait to spend time with them and see if they grew mentally too. After Sasuke's joke with the mischievous grin and Naruto's glances at her, one thing she was sure, they were not the unconscious thirteen-year-old boys anymore that she'd said goodbye.

She set the thoughts aside and returned the focus to the mission as she passed the gates of Suna.

One of the shinobi who guarded the gate accompanied her to the room Kankuro occupied in the Suna hospital, which was near the main tower of the Council. As they walked, he told her all about Gaara's attack and the fight with the man in a black cape of red clouds. Sakura questioned how the attack happened and her mind was revolving around a possible internal conspiracy, an attack of this magnitude had to have been orchestrated with the help of someone inside. Sakura knew it was almost impossible to invade Suna through those walls, with all the shinobis surrounding the place, so her suspicions were confirmed when she questioned the guard who secretly passed on information to her, knowing she was an ally.

Sakura could only think how much he and the others were desperate to recover the Kazekage, just so this, the man would give confidential information to her, for a moment she allowed to think about how Naruto would be proud of the progress his friend made. Gaara conquered the trust and respect of the people of Suna even with all the things he did as a child. She hoped that Naruto would conquer his place in Konoha too, even after all the trials he spent as a child, Sakura lost the account how many people she had to face to defend him and how many children she beat to leave her friend alone.

"We're here." The shinobi opened the door and motioned for her to enter, so he positioned outside the door to guard the room.

Sakura looked around and saw Kankuro squirming on the bed, with some doctors around. Temari looked at Sakura with a look that Sakura knew very well, and she knew that the woman was trying with all her strength to keep the fear under control.

She took off the mask and strapped around the waist, tied the long hair in a ponytail and took on the 'medical mode', as Shizune used to call. Then she walked over to the bed, examining the patient who was in a state of agony over the poison, coming to a precise conclusion after a few minutes. "The poison used in him has been refined with heavy metals and penetrates the muscles causing destruction of the cells."

"Could she figure it out just by looking at him?" One of the doctors asked in a low voice.

"Even the kind of poison and what it do?" Another doctor asked with a little skepticism in his voice.

Sakura ignored the murmurs and requested the report with the patient's data, deducing that Kankuro's condition was much more serious than she thought. She sighed and pressed the tip of the nose in frustration. "The poison has been working in him for some time, I'm sorry I wasn't here before. I can create a antidote in one hour, at the very least, but I can't guarantee there will be no sequels."

Temari's face changed dramatically, fear and despair taking over her features. "There's nothing you can do immediately?"

Sakura looked at her, seriously. "I know a procedure, but it's very painful."

"Do it." Temari said without even thinking. "Please." She added.

Sakura nodded, picked up the clipboard and scribbled down the ingredients she would need, handed the paper to one of the doctors. "I need you to dilute it in serum and bring me into some bowls. I'll start the extraction as soon as you get it."

A few minutes later the medical staff returned with buckets full of the liquid Sakura requested, she inserted the liquid in Kankuro's body using chakra and extracted the poison as fast as she could while Temari held him. The procedure lasted a few hours but was successfully completed. "I extracted the poison that was circulating through his body, but he still need an antidote."

Temari leaned against the wall, falling against it with obvious relief. "Ask for anything, Haruno-san, the medical staff bring it to you." Temari gave her a look of gratitude and Sakura nodded knowing that words were not necessary.

Sakura left the room toward the laboratory to create the antidote. She felt a presence in the hallway and increased the guard just in case.

"You look like that slug-girl." A voice sounded from a distance that Sakura considered securely, turning slowly, she stared at an old woman in a black outfit that covered her whole body, she had noticed the old woman in the room next to Kankuro's bed.

"Tsunade-sama is my Shishou, she sent me here to help." Sakura declared and kept walking.

An old man approached the old woman standing in the hallway in the same place. "Nee-chan, the things are changing." She nodded but said nothing in return.

* * *

Sakura left the lab at dusk having prepared enough antidote for Kankuro and the team that was on the way, since she did not know which one would be lucky to face the same adversary that Kankuro faced, if they were lucky the man would use the same poison, or at least one poison with the same properties. Not wanting to risk dealing with luck, she made an even more potent antidote in case the Akatsuki member is creative and as cautious as she is when it comes to poisons. If he was a little like her, the man would not use the same poison twice.

She walked to the Kazekage tower and headed for the main hall where she was feeling the presence of some familiar chakras.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's cheerful voice echoed for the hall, indicating to her exactly which room to enter. She walked into the space that had an open door finding her old team and the old team Gai, sitting around a large table with Temari and Baki. She nodded and took a vacant seat between Neji and Kakashi.

Neji put a backpack in front of her on the table. "Hokage-sama order to bring it to you." He said in the calm voice and a half smile gracing his lips.

"It's better that it was Tenten or Shizune who went through my things, Neji-kun." Sakura said in a voice that would scare any grown man.

"Better me than Lee." It was the only response he gave, making her shudder involuntarily at the thought of Lee going through her dresser drawers.

"We've been away for a looong time, I see." Kakashi said in an amused voice and Sakura could swear he was giving a mocking smile under that mask. Gathering a glare of Sakura and Neji, Kakashi swallowed. "Sakura-chan, you can cool off and change your clothes while Pakkun returns with the clues from Akatsuki's whereabouts. This isn't an ANBU mission and I will be the captain in this mission."

"Like old times." She said with a smile and nudged him lightly on the ribs.

"Yoshi!" Naruto exclaimed with a dazzling smile.

Sakura nodded and left, carrying the backpack with her, not realizing the strange look that Naruto and Sasuke was sending between her and Neji.

* * *

Sakura took a shower as fast as she could and donned her usual clothes, blouse wine and black shorts with pink skirts over the shorts, tied the bandages that held the guns on the thigh, put on the boots and the gloves. They could find the enemy at any moment from the moment they crossed the walls out of Suna.

She hurried out of the room and found Temari and Baki in the hallway that led her to the edge of the wall and lifted the exit from the Village. Temari reported how the elders did not allow her or any other important member to leave with them to get Gaara, since Suna would be vulnerable to attacks now that the Kazekage was absent. In the middle of their conversation the same old woman who had intercepted Sakura in the hallway offered to accompany the Konoha team.

"I look forward to seeing my grandson again." The old woman muttered, making Sakura feel a curious edge about who would be her grandson.

"Where are the others?" Sakura asked as she met the former team who had been waiting for her.

"Team Gai went ahead with Pakkun, we were waiting for you and some more guidance from the elders of Suna." Kakashi said in the same monotone voice of always making Sakura remember how much she missed the quirks of each one of them.

"I know you should be anxious to go out with  _Neji-kun_ , but you'll have to settle for us." Naruto nodded and followed Kakashi who had already left.

Sakura narrowed the eyes at his ridiculous insinuation and bit the tongue so she would not start a fight.

"Chyo-sama will accompany us on our journey." She stated making the three of them notice the old woman for the first time. "And... Just for you know, Neji and I did a lot missions together in the last years after we became Jounin. Your jealousy is ridiculous,  _Naruto-kun_." She released the last part with a seductive tone that made the poor boy blush.

"I'm not jealous." He screamed after recovering and kept rushing to reach his team.

"Have you been on many missions with the Hyuuga?" Sasuke asked in a more serious tone than Naruto and this was the first time Sakura had heard his voice since they met in the forest.

She examined him for a few seconds and was sure that affected the two boys, far more than she'd expected. "Neji, Shikamaru and I were a Jounin team before I joined ANBU." She stated and waited to see some reaction from him or Naruto that was between them. Realizing that the tension was gone, she became more relaxed as well. "My ANBU team has two other guys, one of them was your kohai, Kakashi-senpai."

Kakashi slowed allowing Chyo to stay in the lead and stood next to Sakura. "And who would that be?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

"He has no name." She stated and quickened the pace, but stopped running as soon as she realized that Kakashi had stopped on one of the branches.

Sakura looked back and was frozen in place when she saw the cold glare Kakashi was giving her. "Tell me you're not a member of ANBU Root, Sakura." He used a somber tone that almost made her shudder.

She sighed and kept her voice neutral, allowing no emotion to escape. "We can talk about this later, Kakashi-senpai." She turned and kept running, but was stopped by a firm arm at the waist.

"We'll talk now." He whispered close to her ear. "You can move on, we'll reach you soon." He shouted toward the other members of the group and with that demand the others left, but looked curiously at the couple they left behind.

"We're on a mission, Kakashi." Sakura said with a little anger in her voice. But when she saw the seriousness in his eye, she gave up. "Do you know how much Danzo is... Er ... hard to handle?" She asked, trying to soften the conversation.

"Hard to handle?" He sneered. "That man is despicable." He spat with obvious aversion.

"Shishou needed someone of confidence inside..." It was the only thing she said and when he released her, Sakura realized that he understood exactly what she meant. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Kakashi sighed in defeat. "You leave me with white hair, Sakura-chan."

Sakura laughed out loud and followed the old sensei to where the others had gone.

* * *

They ran and quickly reached the rest of the team. Suddenly, smoke preceded the arrival of Pakkun, who warned that the Gai team went into battle with one of the Akatsuki members who looked like a shark, Kakashi recognized as Hoshigaki Kisame and swallowed hard with the possibility of them finding Itachi.

They fell into an open field and walked through the grass, since there were no tall trees in the way they were supposed to follow, to be camouflage, when Kakashi stopped walking and looked at the four other members who were following him closely. "Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked with frowning eyebrows realizing something was wrong.

Kakashi looked directly at Sasuke and gave him a look that Sakura had not seen for a long time. "Don't attack!" It was the only order Kakashi gave before a figure using a black cape with red clouds stopped a few feet away.

Sakura felt all the air come out of the lungs when she saw the person who had stopped in front of them.

"Itachi." Sasuke's voice growled beside her and she was sure it was not an illusion.


	10. Confrontation

Itachi kept the face passive to hide the whirlwind of emotions that were exploding in the chest the moment he saw the two people he loved the most. He saw the hate burning through Sasuke's eyes and knew that the boy just did not activate the sharingan because Kakashi ordered him not to attack and somehow he was proud of the subordination and maturity his foolish younger brother was showing at that moment. He glanced briefly at Sakura's impassive face and suppressed the urge to yell at her so she would show all the emotions he loved to see on that face and those green eyes.

"Naruto." Sakura called to the blond boy next to her. She realized he was accumulating chakra in the hand and she remembered how this gesture preceded the Rasengan. She looked into his expressionless eyes and was sure that somehow Itachi had trapped him in a genjutsu without even looking into his eyes.

Sakura turned him by the shoulders so that he faced her and hit hard on his face. "Sakura-chan." Naruto screamed and ran a hand over his aching cheek. "Why was that?" He asked with a childish pout.

"Keep the eyes on his feet." It was the only thing she said and looked back at Kakashi waiting for a command. For the first time in a long time, Sakura was completely lost and not sure what to do. She wanted to freeze everyone around her in a genjutsu and run to hug Itachi, but she could not think straight so she decided to let the mission leader make the decision for her. After all, Itachi was the enemy and this statement hurt.

Kakashi looked at Sakura who was stiff and with clenched fists at the side of the body, then he looked at Sasuke who had a murderous aura emanating from every pore. Making the decision would cause less collateral damage. "Sasuke, Sakura, you're going to cover us. Take Chyo-sama and cover our rear." He commanded and pointed to the low trees that was a safe distance of a few meters. He almost sighed with relief as the two nodded and rushed to the trees, leaving the field where the eminent battle would take place. He looked at Naruto. "You cover me. You heard what Sakura said, right? Don't look into his eyes or hands."

Naruto nodded and returned for having fallen into a genjutsu in less than a minute of confrontation with the missing ninja.

Kakashi lifted the  _hitae ate_  that covered the eye with the sharingan and made the hand signals to the Raikiri. He put as much chakra as he could into the jutsu and ran toward Itachi, who deflected the blow with a loud leap, he was almost amazed at the damage that Kakashi's jutsu did to the ground. Naruto and one kage bunshin flew towards him with a Rasengan and this time Itachi was really amazed at the damage the boy caused. "Interesting technique." He muttered to himself and looked where Uzumaki had headed toward the trees, for a moment he allowed to look in the direction of Sasuke and Sakura. He regretted it as soon as he felt a painful tightness in the chest.

A thick mist swept over the clearing. "Certainly a good technique to hinder the use of genjutsu, but in front of my sharingan, techniques like that are useless. We could stop this game of hide, Kakashi-san"

Itachi launched the  _Katon Goukakyuu no jutsu_  toward Kakashi and completely dissipated the mist. Kakashi escaped the ball of fire by making a hole in the ground and emerged of the ground in front of Itachi punching him in the face, Itachi intercepted the blow and held Kakashi in front of him putting in a genjutsu. A few seconds later he realized that Kakashi was smarter than he looked. "No wonder my genjutsu isn't affecting you. You're a kage bunshin."

Sakura gasped when she saw Naruto's Rasengan destroy all the way until hit Itachi directly in the chest. Sasuke stood abruptly from the place where he was crouched behind the bush in the shock of seeing his brother killed by someone other than him.

They ran toward the clearing and were surprised at what they saw. "Who is he?" Sasuke was the first to break the silence.

"I knew there was something strange during the fight." Kakashi stated with a twinge of irritation in the voice.

"What kind of jutsu is this?" Sakura asked confused and tried to hide the relief she was feeling for not being Itachi who was there. Not that she believed him to die so easily, but just to see him again and not even have the chance to talk with him was painful. She did not even want to think what it would be like to see him die.

"This man is Yuura from my village. He served on the village council for four years." Chyo reported in a tone of disappointment.

"He was an Akatsuki spy." Sakura stated. She bent down before the man and placed the hands on his chest letting the diagnostic chakra go through his chakra paths. "I want to find out how this jutsu works, how someone can use a body as a substitution in this way..."

"Sakura, you're rambling." Sasuke pulled her out of the thoughts.

"Oh, sorry." She resumed the seriousness. "He's been dead for more than 24 hours and the cause of death was suffocation."

"We have to report this to the Suna and move on." Kakashi feared that they had lost precious time with this useless struggle. Akatsuki had planned to distract them, that meant they needed time. He sent one of the dogs to Suna and set off for the trail Pakkun had discovered.

* * *

When the night came, Kakashi saw how the use of Rasengan took a big price on Naruto. "Let's stop and rest here." He climbed down from the tree and put the backpack on the ground taking things off to set up camp.

"Wise decision." Chyo praised.

Naruto walked and faced Kakashi willing to start a discussion. "You said yourself that we're out of time."

Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder. "Rest now will allow us to reach our goal, Naruto. This fight against Itachi has taken our energy."

"You fought. Sakura and I are fine." Sasuke entered the conversation. He understood that Chyo was tired of the walk because of the age, Naruto and Kakashi were tired of using too much chakra against the supposed Itachi, but he and Sakura could go ahead and save time.

Sakura stood by Sasuke's side. "He is right, Kakashi-senpai. We can move on if you allow."

Kakashi narrowed the eyes at them. "And what would you do if find the real Itachi?" He stared at them for any reaction and was annoyed when they remained with the same Stoic facade. Sometimes he wished they were the same twelve-year-old brats who could not control their emotions. At least he still had Naruto.

"We'll rescue the Kazekage. We'll flee from any unnecessary fighting." Sakura promised, and as soon as Kakashi nodded in agreement she and Sasuke left without looking back, before the old sensei changed his mind.

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura ran as fast as they could toward the place where Pakkun had tracked Gaara. They reached the front of a gigantic cave before dawn and a few minutes later Gai's team reached them.

"Where's Kakashi?" Gai asked with a little concern.

"We had a small setback, but nothing serious happened. We'll have to start without him." Sakura reassured and explained to Gai and the others how she had discovered the barrier and that they needed to disable the seal that prevented them from entering the cave.

Gai handed communicators to each member of his team and one to Sasuke. Neji used the byakugan and easily located the tags that contained the seal. Using the communicators, Gai, Lee, Neji, Tenten and Sasuke removed the seals at the same time, and Sakura ran toward the wall of the cave, knocking them down with a single punch.

Sasuke looked at Sakura and informed her that he had received notice from others on the communicator and they would have been busy with difficult opponents for some time, that moment Sasuke and Sakura knew they could find all Akatsuki members united in that place, the Gai team would take some time to get back, so they were literally alone.

"No unnecessary fighting." Sasuke whispered and she nodded. They entered on the cave and braced themselves for anything that was waiting for them. Before them was a large statue with several eyes and two outstretched hands, on each finger was a member of the much-feared Akatsuki organization. Sakura realized that they were using chakra to extract Gaara's Bijuu that was writhing in agony wrapped in a cloud of blue chakra. She felt a knot in the stomach and blind anger boiling inside her.

"I thought you guys had late them." One of the holograms said towards what looked like Itachi and Sakura once again felt her heart tighten, seeing that he was involved in all this.

"They're not really here." Sasuke whispered to her, realizing for the first time that the people who were in the fingers of the statue, were holograms.

"Look again, Sasuke." Sakura noticed that two of the members were actually present, only the others were holograms. She was surprised by this technique, and wondered what kind of object or jutsu would make possible use of chakra through a hologram.

"Apparently there was not enough delay." A voice echoed in the dark cave and drew Sakura from her thoughts. "Deidara, you prevent others from entering, we need to end with the  _Jinchuuriki_."

"His name is GAARA." Sakura screamed angrily and punched the ground causing the cave to tremble and the holograms disappeared, causing the extraction to cease all of a sudden. Sasuke raced toward Gaara's body that fell quickly. He managed to catch him before of him hit the ground and jumped back to Sakura's side with Gaara unconscious in his arms.

Sakura took advantage of the fact that the two Akatsuki members who were physically present were trapped under the debris that fell from the roof of the cave and examined Gaara, she breathed in relief when she saw that he was still alive and that Shukaku was still present in him. She summoned Katsuyu to heal him as she prepared for battle that she knew would start at any moment.

"What happened with  _not starting a fight_?" Sasuke asked half amused.

"They were killing him." She lifted herself off the floor after making sure Gaara was well taken care of. "I get the puppet guy that attacked Kankuro." She stated as she saw two bodies emerging from the rubble.

"Do you think you can handle me, little girl?" Sasori's husky voice echoed through the cave sending shivers down their spine.

"I'm going to stop the boy, I'll be fast Sasori no danna and come back to finish this." Deidara walked toward them and mumbled something about the leader being very upset now.

Sasuke looked at her with concern. "I'll take this guy out, keep the fight away from the Kazekage, Sakura, we don't know when the reinforcement will come." He left the cave looking over his shoulder to make sure the angry blond was following.

Sakura ordered Katsuyu to keep Gaara safe and heal him as much as he could. She walked toward the strange man in front of her and wished the team seven or the Gai team to catch up with them.

"I'm going to turn you into one of my puppets." Sasori said as he took off the black cape that covered him, revealing a puppet body that looked like a scorpion.

Sakura swallowed hard, she read about Akatsuki in the bingo book, but she knew nothing about this man she would face now. He was a marionette specialist, but apparently his actual body was a puppet which meant he would not use chakra threads like Kankuro. She threw a kunai and saw how his scorpion-like tail blasted the kunai by sending it to the wall of the cave.  _'So this body serves as an attack and defense.'_  She thought he was too clever of him to do away with the weakness that a marionette user usually had with direct attack. She took an antidote from the bag which was attached to the waist and sank into the back of the thigh without him noticing. Then she ran toward him as she strayed from the rush of senbons he threw through the mouth.

Every time she tried to approach, the tail would defend him and was getting tired, after the fourth attempt Sakura became irritated and grabbed the tip of the tail with the hands, causing Sasori to laugh for the first time. "You shouldn't have done it, little girl."

She understood that he said it because of the poison that was dripping from the tip of the tail. "And you shouldn't underestimate me." She tugged at the tail, pulling it out of the body. Taking advantage of the opponent's surprise, she jumped up and down with inhuman speed, delivering a powerful punch in the middle of the puppet's body, utterly destroying, sending pieces of wood and debris from the cave everywhere.

Sakura watched as the real Sasori came out from inside the body of the marionette she destroyed. "I underestimated you, but don't worry, I don't make the same mistake twice."

Sakura noticed how his voice had changed and felt the eyes widen when she saw him take off his cloak and reveal the face of a boy who should not be two years older than her. "You're so young."

Sasori smiled at her and inclined the head in a gesture that looked almost childlike. "Thank you for the compliment. I'm going to like you as one of my puppets, little kunoichi."

Sakura tried to stay focused even with all the explosive noises she could hear coming from outside, and tried to keep her mind on the battle despite being worried about Sasuke in front of that bomb man.

* * *

Sasuke was doing the best in the fight against Deidara, he fought against clay dolls who made good hits and exploded everything around him. He was almost certain he'd lost the left ear hearing and prayed that Sakura could heal him. Deidara kept babbling about how he wanted to kill Itachi, but he would be content to stay with his little brother.

He looked incredulous when Deidara created a giant bird and flew high enough that Sasuke had to activate the sharingan to see him. "Damn it." Sasuke grunted and ran as fast as his feet could, to escape the rain of explosive mini-birds that fell from the sky. When all the dust from the explosions went down. Sasuke moaned in pain realizing that he had been hit in the ribs. He needed to get closer to Deidara at any cost, the man was good at distance fighting, but if Sasuke could get close, a sword stroke or a well-placed chidori would end this insane fight.

Sasuke made a substitution and was pleased when he saw Deidara's bird fly toward the ground. When Deidara was distracted enough with the clone, Sasuke attacked by placing a chidori directly into the heart but swallowed when he saw the man before him transform into a clay doll and before he could blink. "Katun." Deidara's voice shouted in triumph.

Sasuke's body flew through the forest and he closed the eyes preparing the body for impact, but never came. He felt someone's arms catch him before he collided with any surface.

"You're late!" He grunted and bit the lip trying to keep the pain under control.

"You see... There was a cat in the way..." Listening to Kakashi's monotone voice almost made him laugh, but that would open the wound in the ribs and it would not be a good thing.

"You never die, un." Deidara's angry voice shouted close to them.

Naruto approached when Kakashi put Sasuke to rest against a tree. "Leave the rest with us, Teme." Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder as if he could bring some comfort to the pain he knew the friend was feeling from all the visible wounds on Sasuke's body.

* * *

Sakura tried to maintain the same neutral facade she always wore during all the battles on ANBU missions, but inside she shuddered to see Sasori open a parchment and release hundred puppets at the same time. She was working on a strategy of how to fight against hundred puppets completely armed from head to toe with nothing but fists and chakra. "I'm so screwed up." She whispered to herself and cursed Kakashi for making her change the armor ANBU for normal clothes. Sasori laughed and she understood that he probably overheard her murmur, and she wondered what kind of skills the guy had hidden under the cape.

Sasori sent ten puppets toward her and Sakura tried to ignore the pain of the cuts on the arms and legs and knocked over all the puppets with precise blows. Before she could recover he sent another ten and the only thing she could think of was that she did not want to die in that damn cave.

Sasori inclined the head and gave her a completely unfeeling look and for a second she thought he was not human. "You can always give up, little girl."

"Go to hell." She grunted and threw one of the puppets over him, but he easily deflected it and she could swear she saw a smile adorn his lips.

"Sasori." Chyo's voice interrupted the fight and Sakura looked directly at Sasori, she would not allow herself to take the eyes off the opponent even if the reinforcement had arrived.

"Chyo-baa." Sasori replied. "You came to join this kunoichi, to die?" He mocked and without pausing he sent several puppets to the own grandmother.

Sakura jumped in front of the old woman creating a barrier jutsu she'd learned from Yamato, shielding the two, causing the puppets to collide with the invisible wall and break into several pieces.

Sasori waited for the barrier to fall and cast a cloud of poison toward the two kunoichis. Sakura gasped when she saw Chyo fall to the ground unconscious. She searched for the other syringes with antidote that she had prepared before leaving Suna and screamed in anger when she remembered that she left everything in the backpack she had left behind with Naruto, and the only antidote she carried with her was already used. She felt the eyes flood with tears of frustration. "You killed your only family." She knelt down in front the old woman and tried to extract the poison from the lungs.

Sasori was livid that she was not at affected by the different poisons. "No one survives my cloud of poison." Sasori said nonchalantly as if the life of Chyo did not matter and Sakura thought he did not really care. "The next is you."

Sakura watched with obvious horror stamping her face as he took off the cape and revealed a puppet body. She used the speed to place Chyo next to Gaara who was near the exit of the cave and ran towards Sasori who ran towards her with two rotating blades on each side of the body.

She dodged the attack at the last second and felt belatedly, when a hook went straight into her belly, just below the ribs. She gasped in pain and saw Sasori standing on a rock above her with a triumphant look.

Sakura looked at him with obvious hatred in her features and pulled the hook that was stuck on the belly, pulling the rope that held the hook until Sasori flew toward her with high speed and with a punch she watched how he smashed into several pieces. She saw a purple cylinder come out from inside the puppet's chest and reached for the object that had veins around it, being a medic-nin she knew exactly what was inside that cylinder. Taking a kunai, Sakura stabbed the heart of that abomination and ended the fight. She lay on her back on the floor of the now-destroyed cave and heal the hole that had been made in her belly, allowed herself to regain the breath for at least one minute before running to save the lives of the other cave occupants.

* * *

Sakura ran towards the place where she was feeling the chakra of the teammates. She thanked him when Naruto and Kakashi helped her with the bodies of Gaara and Chyo. Sakura ran toward the backpack that was lying on the floor next to Sasuke who was leaning against a tree with eyes closed and holding firmly to the side of the body, and she made a small mental note to finish with Chyo soon to help him.

She lifted the old woman's sleeve to apply the antidote and realized that her right arm was made of marionette pieces.  _'It must be family stuff.'_  She ignored it and applied the antidote on the other arm, rushing to draw off as much as she could from the poison in her lung. After twenty minutes of useless effort she felt a hand on her shoulder, but refused to stop.

"Sakura, that's enough. She's gone." She heard Neji's voice and felt the hand tighten a little more on the shoulder.

"No." She shook the head in denial. "Damn it." She held back the tears of anger that wanted to escape. She rose from the place and walked to a large tree, with a scream of rage she punched the tree until there was nothing left but splinters. When finished she saw that everyone was looking at her. "Isn't fair!" She whispered more to herself. Ignoring the looks of the companions, she walked over to Sasuke and healed the deep cut he had and the three broken ribs.

"How is Gaara?" Naruto asked after several minutes of silence.

"Alive." It was the only answer she could give. All the stress of the fight, watching Sasori kill his own grandmother without resentment and discover that Itachi spent the last years surrounded by people who were apparently psychotic and heartless, got the best of her.

* * *

After they returned the Kazekage to the village of Suna and buried Chyo, they went back home. The trip took more than a day without rest and Sakura wanted nothing more than to get home. She was dressed in the ANBU uniform since her previous clothing was destroyed, courtesy of Sasori. After reporting the entire mission to Tsunade, Naruto insisted that they meet at Ichikaru to make up for lost time, but she would only do so after a shower. Kakashi told Sasuke to accompany her home and she was happy to see that they were still super protective even if she did not need protection.

She opened the door to the apartment and let Sasuke in, closing the door behind them.

"Nice place." Sasuke muttered and sat down on the couch in the small room.

"Mommy was tired of be scared by Sai every time he showed up at the kitchen window, before she had a heart attack, I moved." Sakura explained as she took off the gray vest getting in just one black tank top and threw it on the couch, sitting next to Sasuke before creating the energy needed for a shower.

"Sai?" Sasuke asked and Sakura ignored the nostalgia she felt when she remembered another Uchiha who always used few words when she was curious about something.

"My partner in ANBU." She looked at him and smiled for the first time since they had finished that mission. "He reminds me of you."

Sasuke raised one eyebrow and Sakura waited for some smart response, but froze as he reached for the necklace around her neck.

Sakura felt the world stop for one second as Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he looked at her as if she had two heads. "That necklace..."

"Sasuke..." She whispered and felt his hands tighten her shoulders tightly, she held the moan of pain that wanted to escape.

"Tell me it's not of him" Sasuke grunted and she saw that he was trying the best to remain calm.

"He's not what you think." She spoke before she could think of anything better and regretted it when she felt his fingers sink further.

"How can you?" She knew how he was feeling. She knew he was feeling betrayed and she did not know what to say. "Why?" He dropped her shoulders and got up from the couch, standing in the middle of the dark room. "How?... He came to see you? Since when do you know each other?" He ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration. "Answer Sakura!"

She jumped when she heard his scream. "I've known him since we were kids. I've met him before I met you or Naruto." She said in a low voice trying to think what to say next.

"He never told me about you." Sasuke said with less anger this time.

"Sasuke, don't..." She whispered looking into his eyes.

"That day at the hospital. You defended him." Sasuke looked at her and sent the chill down the back of the neck. "How can you trust him after what he has done."

Sakura was not a person with a temperament calm, she felt all guilt disappear the moment he insinuated that Itachi was not trustworthy. She stood abruptly in front of him. "How can you not trust him?"

"He killed my family, my clan..." He said through gritted teeth.

She put the hand on his shoulder and breathed in relief that he had not left. "Kakashi taught us to always look underneath of the under part. You knew Itachi very well, Sasuke. Do you believe he would do what he did only to prove himself?"

He was silent for a few seconds. "He... Maybe I didn't know him as well like you." He responded with obvious irritation.

"Come on, Sasuke, there's something else in all this, don't you ever think about it?" She insisted.

He sighed and pressed the tip of his nose in obvious frustration. "I don't know what to think, Sakura."

Sakura felt a shiver run down of the spine and realized she needed to get Sasuke out of the apartment. "I'll tell you all that I discovered, but first I need a shower." She took the hand from his shoulder and took a step back.

He nodded and Sakura saw how stunned he was. "If you're not at Ichikaru in half an hour, I'll back." He left and closed the door behind him.

"Tobi thought he would not leave." Sakura turned to the balcony where a masked man was and was glad Sasuke was too stunned to notice the presence of another person in the room. Sakura stared at the hole in the intruder's mask. "Tobi, came to get what the beautiful kunoichi took. You know... It's a ugly thing to take something that doesn't belong to you, pretty girl." These were the last words Sakura heard before being swallowed by the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a little big, I tried to reduce the fight to the maximum, even if the fight of Sakura and Sasori is one of my favorites in the anime. I promise that in the next chapter Sakura will finally meet Itachi. I hate when the fanfics take time to reach the good part, but I don't want to get away from what I originally thought for this story.


	11. Hostage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

Itachi felt as if the ground had left his feet when Sasuke and Sakura stormed into the cave. It took all the self-control he possessed not to let the jutsu fall and run toward the cave where he knew they would be. When Sakura was completely consumed with rage and threw a powerful punch to the ground and they completely lost the connection with the statue, Itachi felt pride fill his chest.

"What the hell was that?" Kisame's voice took Itachi out of his own thoughts. "Was that your little brother? And how did that girl do that?" Itachi sat in the same position and watched as Kisame stood up and ran a hand through his hair with obvious surprise. "The leader will kill her if Sasori and Deidara don't."

That statement was enough to get some reaction from him. He wanted to shake Sakura and shout with her for getting involved in the plans of such a dangerous organization. He was more angry with the leaders of Konoha for allowing her and Sasuke to go alone against to the enemy. "I'm going to the cave." Itachi got up and walked without even seeing if Kisame was following him. The only thing he could think of was that Sakura and Sasuke would be killed.

"Wait." Kisame stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you think we'd better get back to the base and wait for an order?"

"You return." He demanded and disappeared leaving feathers of crows behind.

Kisame sighed in frustration and walked towards one of the bases of Akatsuki that was in the Wind's Country.

When Itachi arrived in the cave all he could see were wreckage and pieces of puppets. He felt relief flooding every part of his body when he saw Sasori's puppet body completely destroyed. There were few people who knew the original Sasori form, beyond the leader, he and Deidara no other Akatsuki member knew that Sasori turned his body into puppet soon after joining the organization.

Knowing that Sasuke and Sakura were not killed by Sasori, he headed toward the Deidara's chakra.

He walked through the forest and followed a trail of blood that led him straight to the noisy, irritated blond. "Your brother is a cretinous like you, yeah!" Deidara shouted angrily as he saw Itachi's figure approaching.

Itachi had to hold the urge to laugh at seeing the damage that had been inflicted on Deidara, and if he was cursing and muttering his little brother, it was probably Sasuke's job which indicated that the destruction in the cave was made by his Sakura. Itachi completely ignored the comrade's complaints and headed toward the base where Kisame would be, since he confirmed that the people he cared would be safe for a while longer.

* * *

When night fell Itachi snuggled in the bed and waited for sleep to reach him tonight. All of the leader's plans were thwarted thanks to the Konoha ninjas and he knew there would probably be an attack on his old house soon. The only thing he could think about was how he would warn Konoha before a devastating attack struck the village.

High voices echoed through the corridors of the old house on the outskirts of the Windy's country. Itachi narrowed the eyes irritably and imagined that Tobi had probably irritated Deidara once more. He waited for twenty minutes and hearing the voices rise even higher he got up from the bed and walked toward the voices that led to the kitchen that was in the common area that they all shared.

"You're annoying." He grunted as he entered the kitchen that was really crowded. Walking to the fruit basket, he picked up an apple and savored the sweet taste of the fruit as he leaned back on the wall to watch the interaction of the companions.

"That idiot, without brain, made a mess again." Deidara shrieked angrily and Itachi knew that he just was not with his hands around the Tobi's neck because his arms were being sewn at that moment.

"Tobi isn't to blame." Tobi shouted back. "Zetsu-san told to recover the Sasori-sama's ring, so Tobi recovered it."

"You just had to bring the ring, you moron." Deidara retaliated.

"He's right, you know." Hidan joined the discussion. "You didn't have to bring the girl, just get the ring and come back."

Tobi squealed with indignation and abruptly rose from the chair, clapping the hands on the table. "She was busy arguing with the boyfriend, and she didn't have time to hide the ring anywhere that made Tobi think the ring would be with her, which Tobi was right." He congratulated himself and showed the ring that was in the palm of the right hand. He sat back and gave a defeated sigh. "Alright, we just need to kill her before leader-sama finds out she was here."

"I do this." Deidara stood up to evaluate the good work Kakuzu had done by sewing his arm back in place. "After all, she killed Sasori no danna."

"Tobi caught her, Tobi had the right to have fun with her." Tobi shouted indignantly.

"What are you talking about?" Itachi asked moving away from the wall where he was leaning. Accompanying the conversation, he feared they were talking about Sakura, but when Deidara said the person had killed Sasori, he was sure.

"Tobi kidnapped a kunoichi of Konoha." Kisame replied.

"Your little brother's girlfriend." Tobi explained, making an unpleasant weight fall on Itachi's stomach, but he did not know if it was panic the least possibility of Sakura being in Akatsuki's hands or if it was the blind rage at the mere mention of Sakura and Sasuke being in a loving relationship.

"Where is she?" Itachi asked and looked in disbelief as Tobi pointed to the pantry. He really thought that guy was an idiot or played the role very well. He walked to the pantry and abruptly opened the door. Itachi felt the heart sink into his chest when he saw Sakura tied, gagged and blindfolded, on the knees on the floor of the pantry.

"You want to kill her?" Tobi asked putting the head on Itachi's shoulder making him use every control not to pluck the man's head.

"No." He said with obvious hatred in the voice. "Do you know who she is?"

"The murderer of Sasori no danna." Deidara offered.

"The girl who stopped the extraction of Shukaku." Hidan added.

"The apprentice of the Hokage of Konoha." Itachi said angrily.

"Uh oh. Tobi made a mess." Tobi walked away from him and sat back in the chair, hugging the knees as if he could protect him.

"You may have started a war ahead of schedule, you asshole." Deidara sent a punch to his head, but Tobi swerved, making Deidara growl.

"Tobi didn't know... Zetsu-san told Tobi to retrieve the ring and Tobi thought he could stay in Sasori-sama's place, finally being part of the team." He defended himself but did not move from his position. "Itachi-san, help Tobi think of a solution."

Itachi pressed the nose in obvious frustration. "I'll take her to my base, they can't find her there." It was the only way he thought of protecting Sakura without arousing suspicion.

"I'll let the leader know about it." Kakuzu spoke for the first time and left the kitchen without another word.

"Hey, she's a friend of Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, isn't she? Maybe we can use her to attract him." Deidara remembered the fight against the blond boy who came to help Itachi's annoying little brother, if they were on the same team, then they were friends. "By the way, how did you find my arm?" He asked Tobi. He searched for his arm for a long time without success and gave up, if that masked shinobi of Konoha had used the sharingan to send the explosion to another dimension, his arm would be trapped somewhere else.

"Tobi isn't to blame that Deidara-senpai doesn't know how to look for anything." This time Deidara's punch hit, knocking Tobi out of the chair.

"That guy, Kakashi, sent my explosion with my arm to another dimension, probably..." He added the last part without being sure, after all he was not an expert on sharingan.

"You can stop this useless conversation." Hidan screamed angrily and left the kitchen clearly showing that he cared nothing about it.

Itachi was still standing in the pantry not knowing what to do for the first time in his life. He walked over to Sakura and took her in his arms feeling the heat and her smell after so long made him feel many emotions at once, she squirmed and he smiled knowing she would not fall without fighting. "It's all right." He whispered in her ear and disappeared leaving a trail of crow feathers behind.

"One problem has been solved." Kisame commented when he saw Itachi disappear through the open pantry door.

* * *

In Konoha, Sasuke was restless after half an hour waiting for Sakura to appear. "I'll get her." He got up from the bench where he was sitting on the ramen stand.

"She'll be here soon, Teme... Women are like that." Naruto wiped the mouth with the sleeve of his blouse after eating a second bowl of ramen.

"Sakura is never late." Kakashi commented.

"I'll go back and get her." Sasuke declared and left without waiting for an answer. He was uneasy about everything she said in the apartment. How could he not know that she and Itachi had known each other for years. He remembered every time his brother came home dirty and with a silly grin on his face, and whenever he came back from a mission, he never went straight home. Sasuke wondered if it was to Sakura that Itachi went all those times. He could not even remember when his brother's behavior changed, but now he knew why.

When he saw the necklace on her neck he felt a lump in his throat and a horrible feeling of betrayal, but he felt this feeling diminish a little, now. The only thing he felt was jealousy, but he could not tell to himself if it was because Itachi chose to spend his time with Sakura and conquered her to the point that she never doubted him even after everything he did, or if it was because Sakura had somehow caught his brother's attention more than he was able. Sasuke hated this feeling of not knowing the things, this impotence was annoying, he felt like the nine-year-old boy who lost his family and everything he loved, again.

He needed to see Sakura, if she really discovered something that would make him stop hating his brother, what he thought impossible, he wanted to know.

He knocked on the door of her apartment several times and after two minutes of waiting he turned the door handle, surprised that she had not locked the door after he left. He went to a door that thought be the bathroom, but she was not there. The apartment was as quiet and dark as when he left and he felt something sink into stomach as he felt no trace of her chakra nearby.

* * *

Itachi held her firmly in his arms and something inside him did not want to let her go, for the calm she had been showing since they had left the pantry, he knew she recognized his chakra and he felt something warm his chest because she trusted him from that way, even when surrounded by enemies. When they arrived at the old Uchiha base where Itachi spent most of the time when he was not on missions to the Akatsuki, he put her on the cold stone floor and took the blindfold and the gag.

When the blindfold left her eyes, Sakura looked at the face of itachi that was very close, she saw him up close for the first time in years. She felt warm tears fill the eyes and without thinking she threw her arms around his neck, taking care that the handcuffs do not hurt him, bringing him down, making she realize how much he has grown since he left. Itachi knew that his heart was beating faster than should, he found difficult to breathe and the only thing he could do was wrap his arms around her waist and pull her even closer.

Sakura walked away from him after a few minutes and he felt the absence of the warmth that her body emitted. She looked at him and breathed with difficulty, it seemed so unreal to have him within reach of the hand after so long. "Kami, I missed you!" Her voice echoed through the empty cave.

Itachi stepped forward a millimeter away from her and smiled when she did not step back, he took a lock of her hair and brought it to his face inhaling the sweet perfume that hair exhaled. "You let it grow again."

He watched in amusement as she narrowed the eyes and stepped away from him carrying her long and pink tresses with her. "Seven years... seven damn years and this is the first thing you say to me?" He had to suppress a laugh at the sound of her screams, he missed it. She tilted the head and assumed a confused expression before speaking again. "Wait, how did you know I cut my hair? The last time you see me, it was still long."

Itachi smiled wider and could not stop his eyes from getting caught in the way she bit her lower lip while waiting for a response from him and for a moment he thought how he wanted to help her with that task. "Who said that the last time I saw you, you had long hair?" He answered with a question knowing he would irritate her, he missed the push of the buttons of this explosive girl.

He saw she widen the eyes with genuine surprise and he knew she was upset at the thought of him seeing her but not approaching.

"Why?" He heard the pain in her voice and felt a twinge of remorse, but let the feeling sink before that he would lose all control and break before her. He could not wrap her in the mess his life had become.

"I'm a missing ninja, Sakura." It was the only thing he could say. She should know that he was no longer a shinobi of Konoha and she was the only person in the world, besides the Akatsuki assassins, who had the courage to approach him, although with exception to Kisame and Tobi, no other member tried to familiarize with he.

He did not want Sakura involved in this situation, the last place she should be was with him in this cave. Sakura should be supposed to be safe in Konoha and once again he wished he could pluck the Tobi's throat out for being an idiot and bring her into the arms of the enemy. Akatsuki did not take hostages, he used people for the own benefits and when the purposes were fulfilled, they would disappear with any vestige of the existence of whoever it was.

At that moment he made a decision without having to think too much about it, anyone who put the hands on Sakura would have a slow and painful death, being Konoha or Akatsuki ninja he would kill anyone who hurt her, even if it cost him the disguise he used it at a great cost for all those years. If someone hurt her, he would not be loyal to anything, not anyone.

"Follow me." He ordered and walked toward a hall that was lit only by a few torches on the wall. He opened a door and motioned for her to enter. For the first time he saw a suspicious look in her eyes, but disappeared as quickly as it came and she entered the room without question.

He lit some torches and a hearth, and she could see the middle-sized bedroom, a large bed, a shelf full of books and scrolls, a desk and a commode.

"Your bedroom?" She asked and received a nod from him, she walked over to the bed and sat down without asking permission. Which made him feel good in some way, knowing that the familiarity between them had not disappeared.

He walked over to where she was and stood before her. "I'm going to take that chakra suppressor out from you, but when any Akatsuki member comes, I'll have to put it back on, until I think of a way to get you out of here and send you back home." He explained and saw a glint of malice in her green eyes, then she pulled the arms shattering the handcuff and he felt his eyes widen in surprise.

"Chakra suppressors don't work on me,  _Ta-chi-kun_." She whispered the last part with a seductive tone and a mischievous grin. Itachi felt every self-control break instantly and found himself on top of her before she could think of anything.

Sakura was breathless and surprise. He was on top of her, pinning her arms above the head and she did not want to make any effort to take him off. "My little Sakura has become a amazing woman." He said in that hoarse voice that she missed, and she could feel his warm breath against her cheek.

"I-ta-chi..." She whispered not knowing what to say or why he was acting like that.

"Don't tease me, Sakura." He said in a voice that sounded painful. "You know how long I imagined you here with me, just like that." He looked into her eyes and she gasped when she saw the tomoe of sharingan to spin.

"You aren't the only, Tachi" She said in a broken voice knowing how desperate she seemed at that moment, but did not care at all. He had been away for a long time and she would allow herself to have him only for her once more.

He closed the eyes and pressed his forehead against hers but did not weaken the grip on her wrists. "I missed you, my Saku-chan." He said with despair in his voice and Sakura managed to take the wrists out of the crushing grip he put and wrapped the arms around him. She felt the eyes burn with tears as he rested the head on her breast and hugged her back.

At that moment she realized that she was not the only one to feel desperately alone.


	12. The true side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

Sasuke did not want to go into despair, as a Uchiha would be a shame not to analyze the possibilities before making a decision. Then he activated the sharingan and walked through the dark apartment in search of Sakura, being an elite kunoichi she could easily hide the chakra to not be found. He opened the last door and saw her room, praying to the Kami that she would not kill him for invading her privacy.

He walked around the room and found nothing unusual until he was surprised by a bird.  _'Wait, a bird?'_  Sasuke switched on the light from the bedroom and stared at the crow on Sakura's bed. He approached cautiously, and reality hit him like a flood. "Hn, you belong to Itachi, don't you?" He asked before he could stop himself and realized how ridiculous it was to talk to a crow until the bird nodded and Sasuke took a step behind thinking that this was the most bizarre thing he had ever seen.

He turned off the light and left Sakura's apartment walking toward the Ichikaru. While walking he thought that the relationship of Sakura and Itachi was much deeper than he thought, that feeling of treason and jealousy came back stronger than before.

"Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto's voice took him out of the reverie, bringing him back to reality.

"She wasn't in the apartment and I didn't feel her chakra nearby." Sasuke stated and looked at Naruto and Kakashi hoping they would understand the implication of that statement. He watched as Naruto's eyes widened in surprise and he waited for the explosion that would come from his blond friend.

Kakashi also noticed Naruto's expression and the impending explosion that was approaching, he rose from the bench and scratched the chin thoughtfully. "Okay, let's look at it before we draw conclusions, let's split up and meet in the Hokage tower in twenty minutes." Kakashi stated knowing that they could cover all of Konoha at that time if he summoned his dogs then he vanished into a cloud of smoke leaving the two boys standing at the ramen stand.

"He never gets tired of doing that, does he?" Naruto grumbled.

"Never." Sasuke agreed and ran out into the streets in search of Sakura.

"Do you want me to open your account again or will you pay now, Naruto?" Ayame asked causing Naruto to scream in disgust at being left with the bill like in the old times.

* * *

Twenty minutes later they met in the Hokage tower and surprisingly Kakashi was there at the time combined. Tsunade was in a bad mood after learning that her precious apprentice was nowhere near Konoha, so she summoned the bests shinobis to a quest, fearing the worst.

Two masked figures were standing on each side of the chair of the Hokage, Neji and Shikamaru were seated in front of the table. Naruto was uneasily pacing the room while Kakashi sat on the window parapet. Sasuke thought he was surrounded by weird people. "I left her in the apartment and she would meet us in half an hour, so whoever took her had half an hour to spare." He stated when Tsunade asked for an accurate report of the last time Sakura was seen.

"Naruto if you don't stop this will open a hole in my floor." Tsunade snarled and massaged the temples with the index fingers. She lowered the head and took a deep breath, then faced each member in the room. "No one can enter this village without being detected by the protection jutsu that is around." She stated hoping to understand the situation.

"Unless the person is a citizen of Konoha." Shikamaru added.

"Sakura is a specialist in infiltration. If someone had invaded her apartment, she would know." One of the masked figures stated.

"And who are you?" Naruto asked a little annoyed that he could not see the face. The anxiety and concern for Sakura was consuming him, and at any moment he would lose control, the only thing that kept him from running out of village shouting her name was that he had no idea where to start looking.

Tsunade waved to the officers of the ANBU and the two took off the masks revealing their faces. "They're the ANBU team of Sakura."

"Tenzo." Kakashi stated with a hint of a smile in the voice.

"Don't call me that, Kakashi-senpai." Yamato said scratching the cheek with obvious embarrassment.

"I'm Sai." The other agent declared with a fake smile on his face and Sasuke cursed Sakura internally for compared him to this guy.

"I think it may have been someone from Akatsuki, due to the fact that she eliminated one of the members. I'm sure Sakura would never leave the village without informing someone." Neji said crossing the arms over the chest.

"I also think so, especially after the team seven returned, Sakura would never leave them of their own free will." Yamato supplemented. "By the way, I'm Yamato." He said toward Naruto and Sasuke.

"A ridiculous name." Kakashi murmured under the mask.

"Tsk." Shikamaru almost laughed at Kakashi's statement, but thought it would be inappropriate due to the current situation. "Why don't we send Kuro? He would find Sakura even under a rock."

"Kuro?" Sasuke asked, frowning in genuine confusion.

"Is a crow." Neji explained.

"Hey, Sasuke, don't you know Kuro?" Naruto asked and Kakashi cleared the throat trying to change the subject as he saw Sasuke's jaw tighten so much he thought the boy would have trouble eating later.

Sasuke ignored Naruto's question and took a deep breath trying to remain calm, if he declared that the crow belonged to Itachi there would be even more confusion. He thought Sakura might have gone in search of his older brother or that Itachi might have come after her, and it was only these thoughts that made a weight fall on his stomach. He decided that it would be better for no one else to know of their relationship until Sakura is present.

"Okay, let's send Kuro and wait for his return with some response from Sakura or at least a clue." Tsunade declared "Which one of you is more familiar with him?"

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. "Urgh, I'll do it." Neji declared and got up from the chair.

"Why you?" Naruto asked indignantly.

"If you wanted the task why you didn't manifest before?" Neji retaliated with obvious irritation.

"He's just jealous of your interaction with Sakura-chan." Kakashi stated as fact.

"Oy, I'm not jea..."

"Enough!" Tsunade interrupted the discussion. "Hyuuga, you send Kuro to Sakura as soon as dawn, all the others disappear from my office and have a night's sleep. If something happened to Sakura I'll send all of you in two separate groups as soon as Kuro returns... and Naruto, don't do anything reckless until tomorrow." Tsunade dismissed everyone from the office wishing everyone could get some sleep tonight before the reality of the situation was confirmed the next morning.

* * *

Itachi never imagined that he could be like this with her again. He planned that Sasuke to find him and end his existence before the Akatsuki could complete the bizarre plans of a misguided peace Pein wanted. He would make sure Sakura would be safe before Sasuke killed him, but having her beneath him, with the arms around him that way, made him throw all the plans out the window and just think how good it was not to be alone.

After a few minutes of silence Sakura took a deep breath. "Tachi, we have a lot to talk." He heard Sakura say with obvious uncertainty in her voice.

Itachi lifted the head to look into her eyes but continued in the same position. To be snug with her was so much comfortable to let go. "I'm listening." He declared and kept looking at her.

"If only I talk, it isn't a conversation, will be a monologue." She said with a smile that made his heart melt.

He settled on top of her so that their faces was even closer. He stared at her for a while, admiring the features he missed, she had a fringe covering the forehead, her eyes seemed even greener than he remembered, and her lips looked so soft he wondered if would hurt her if he were too rough."You're much more beautiful than I remembered." He ran a hand over her cheek with a light touch. "Seeing you at a distance wasn't enough."

She leaned the face into his hand and received the affection she so much missed, then she looked at him absorbing all the changes that took place after seven years. He had obvious marks of expression and she knew he had not had much rest in these last few years, yet he was still incredibly handsome, with captivating black eyes, full lips and chiseled chin, he was much more male now and she wanted having followed these changes alongside him, this thought brought more pain by reminding her of the time they lost. "Don't leave me again." She pleaded.

"You don't belong here and I can't go back." He said in a whisper and she knew he did not want to let her go.

"What if I take you back?" She asked in a whisper too.

"Impossible." He lamented and laid the head on her breast again, as if at the slightest movement she could escape him.

"I know everything." She stated a little louder and felt his grip tighten. When he looked at her the sharingan was activated but she refused to look away. he was still her Itachi and he would never hurt her.

"Sakura..." He said in a tone of voice she had never imagined he would miss and for a moment she thought that even his rebuke was good.

"It was an order. Danzo-san came up with the idea and Hiruzen-sama approved without even questioning the insanity that was." Sakura said without fear.

"How would you know?" Itachi asked with narrowed eyes and Sakura knew he was angry.

"What matters is that I can help you get back home, get back to me." She dodged the question.

Itachi suddenly stood up and took a defensive stance. "You're going to tell me everything soon, but now we have company." He put on his cape again, opened a drawer, and picked up a different chakra suppressor, like a leash. Approaching her, he placed it gently around her neck, seizing the opportunity to caress her. He smiled at her when he saw the necklace that belonged to him around her neck and something possessive flamed inside him. She belonged to him and was not afraid to declare it. "Foolish girl." He whispered in her ear, then tied her hands to the head of the bed, smirking at her. All the time Sakura could not take the eyes off him. Itachi left the bedroom to find the Akatsuki member he knew was approaching.

* * *

A few minutes later Itachi returned to the room and was surprised to see Sakura talking to herself. She stopped talking the moment he entered the room. "What are you going to do with me now, bad guy?" Itachi studied her question gently, she was tied up in his bed, he knew she was not defenseless, but it would be difficult to pull that image out of his head now. Shaking the head slightly as if this gesture could send the thoughts away, he approached the bed.

"You'll stay here for a few days. Thanks to Deidara's big mouth they want to use you as bait to catch the Uzumaki Naruto." He noticed how her eyes darkened with anger at the mention of being used to hurt her friend. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here as fast as I can." He tried to comfort himself more than her.

He sat down beside her and untied her hands. "You were talking to yourself." He affirmed and did not wait for her to respond. "The second personality is never gone, right?" Sakura shook the head in a gesture of denial, confirming his insinuation. "I want to meet her!" Itachi stated, surprising Sakura.

"You... what?" She asked really confused.

Itachi took a deep breath, thinking of how to express the thoughts to her. All these years without Sakura to talk openly with him, made him go back to the old Uchiha habits. "When we were children I thought that voice in your mind could be harmful." After spending so many years facing his demons from the past alone, Itachi thought that having a voice inside the head to do company was not so bad. Some nights where he was plagued by the ghosts of all the souls of people he murdered he wished had something to keep the sanity. "That's why I told you to ignore her. I was afraid you'd develop some disturbance and that second part of you could come out or control you. A nine-year-old boy did not understand much about psychology."

"When we meet, I ignored her like you said to do and she didn't talk to me for a long time..." Sakura said in a low voice. "When I was nine, you went away for a few months and she came back... then there was the clan's massacre and you were gone..." She could not finish saying and he knew it was a painful memory for her, too it was painful for him.

"She kept you sane." Itachi stated once more and Sakura remembered when they were kids and he could tell all about her with just one look and she realized that this has not changed. Receiving her silence as an answer, he insisted. "I want to meet her. She's part of you, and I want all of you." He said in a hoarse voice and Sakura watched admiringly as once again the sharingan's tomoe whirled as if he wanted to hypnotize her, unable to resist him, she nodded.  _'While I can still have you around.'_  He added that part only to himself.

Itachi approached her and held the sides of her face with the hands, making her stare at him even more closely. When red eyes met the green orbs he activated a genjutsu and entered her mind for the first time.

**"Look who we have here... an illustrious visitor."**  Inner Sakura scoffed.

Itachi looked around and all he could see was white and his Sakura kneeling in the middle of all that nothing, wearing a black trousers and a black blouse with long hairs stuck in a ponytail, looking at him as if she could devour him at any moment.

"You're going to tell me all that my little Sakura wouldn't have the courage for fear of hurting me." He declared and Inner smiled at him.

**"You always knew her so well. You know, I stopped her from ending our existence a few times after you left."**  Itachi widened the eyes in disbelief at this statement and found himself stranded on the ground with that Sakura on top of him, trapping his arms above the head.  **"You broke us, Itachi."**  She declared with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said before he could think of stopping, seeing a broken Sakura before him was too much to bear. "I'm so sorry." He repeated and felt hot drops falling against his cheek.

**"You thought we were strong enough, but losing you was painful."**  She sniffed and released his hands, standing upright, but did not leave him, so that her legs were around his waist still holding him on the floor.  **"After Naruto-chan and Sasuke-kun left the village, it was more painful. We're more stronger, but the loneliness was almost unbearable. Mommy was worried and we had to act very well to not worry her anymore."**

Itachi could only hear as she shed the heart, and he thought that position was a bit too comfortable for this kind of conversation.  **"You're having dirty thoughts, are not you?"**  She asked with a wicked grin as she wiped the tears with the back of the hand.

"No." He denied, and she smiled even wider, pulling even closer to him. Itachi had to suppress a moan and he wished this was not only in their minds.

**"You'll have to take better care of us. If you go again, she will not take it and I'll not stop her from ending the pain this time."**  Inner threatened and he knew she was being very serious.

"I will always be with you." He said seriously.

**"That's what people say to their loved ones, before they die. Don't make a fool of me, Itachi. In exchange for staying with us, I'll tell you everything I know you want to know."**  She closed in on him, resting her hands on his chest.  **"We found everything about what really happened, the mission, the plans of Danzo for the sharingans. She didn't tell you, but we went into the ANBU of Danzo, that despicable man did many ugly things."**  Itachi clenched the jaw tightly as she listened to her ramblings and wished that she did not stop because he knew Sakura would not say anything to him willingly.  **"He has plans to overthrow my shishou and he works with Orochimaru a few years ago. We have discovered many things about him on the scrolls hidden in his office, and the bastard has no idea what we know."**  She laughed out loud.  **"We're so incredible, Itachi."**

"I know." He could only agree, no one was he able to unmask this man, no one would dare to tamper with the secret archives of the ANBU, but of course the imprudence of Sakura had no limits.

**"You can go now, this intrusion will leave her with a headache."**  Inner left him and then Itachi was expelled from her mind. He was petrified to see how she had the ability to expel a sharingan user so easily.

"Good conversation?" Sakura asked taking him out of stupor.

"I discovered some interesting things, Sa-ku-ra." He answered and did not know if he would shout with her for being reckless or hugging her for having made her suffer so much. "I'm so sorry!" He decided that this was the best course of action.

Sakura gasped and bowed the head trying to hide the tears. He thought it funny how she did not want him to see her cry when the other personality wept openly in front of his face. "I ... I'm happy to be with you now." She said sincerely and he saw that there was no resentment in her voice.

He smiled, making her smile too. "Do you know what we talked about?" He asked.

She shook the head in denial and he realized that it would be better to save some information for another time. "I want to know what you plan to do with the information you got. Yes, I know you're in the ANBU Root... and Sakura, as soon as you put your feet in Konoha, you're going to leave that organization." He said with conviction.

"I'll not." She retorted and he was surprised that she did not obey him for the first time since she was five.

"Sakura, you'll do what I say." He insisted looking at her intensely and he had to hold the desire to activate the sharingan again.

"I'm only going to leave the organization, when you enter in Konoha through the front gates." She challenged him putting her nose up like a petulant child.

Itachi snorted in disbelief. "I liked you better when you were an obedient child."

"Bad for you, I'm not a child anymore." She said irritably and got out of bed. "Could you please allow me to take a shower and give me some food, Mr. kidnapper?" She asked, deciding that it would be a better company after taking the shower she wanted so badly and was interrupted by that strange guy named Tobi.

"I didn't kidnap you." Itachi defended himself. He reached for a shirt and shorts in the drawers and handed to her. "The bathroom is in that door." He pointed to a door adjoining the room. "I'll prepare something for you to eat, but after that we'll talk about the future." He walked toward the door leading to the hall.

"Our future." Sakura stated before entering the bathroom and he heard something like ' _our future together'_  before she closed the door.

A smile adorned his lips and he wished with all his heart that being together was possible.


	13. Sometime together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

Sakura left the bathroom dressed in the clothes Itachi gave her, she went through the drawers until finally finding a hairbrush. When she was busy with the task of combing the long strands of pink hair, she saw Itachi enter the room with a tray in his hand.

Itachi looked at the image of Sakura wearing his clothes, combing the hair sitting on his bed and thought that image was magnificent. "Feeling comfortable?" He asked amused as his heart warmed as she smiled widely at him.

"Apart from the humidity and the cold, this place doesn't look so bad." She mocked and watched as he set the tray on the bedside table, she peeked and saw a bowl of what looked like miso soup and remembered all the times he'd cooked for her when her parents were not home. He was not the best cook in the world, but having one of the most dangerous shinobi in the world cooking something for you could only be an honor.

"What's going on in this little head?" He asked curiously as he saw the dreamy face she had as she stared at the soup in the bowl, he took the hairbrush from her hands gently and began to comb her long pink hair. "Remember when you broke your arm by falling off that tree?" He asked and got lost in the past thought of how he would have to help her wash and comb the hair for more than one month.

"I gave you a lot of work, didn't I?" She said with a slight laugh but there was no real guilt in that statement. She really did not mind being taken care of by him. "At that time you refused a long mission for the first time and your father almost disinherited you for being irresponsible." She remembered him wanting to do only short missions to take care of her.

"I still remember him yelling at me for embarrassing the clan." Itachi said without emotion.

"It was just a damn mission." Sakura snorted angrily as she remembered everything he had to face because of the clan and the demands of his father. "Ouch." She rubbed the place where Itachi had hit her head with the hairbrush.

"Language." He warned her with the suggestion of a smile on his lips as she looked at him.

She could not help but laugh. He was always so serious and respectful when he was younger and it seems that being surrounded by noisy freaks did not affect him that much. He took the bowl of soup and handed it to her hoping it was at least comestible. She thanked him and devoured the soup in a few minutes making him realize that she should not have eaten since she began this mission that led them to reconnect.

"The leader said that I need to keep you here for at least one week until all plans to attract Uzumaki are ready. I thought about going on a two-day mission and then you would have the chance to escape without surveillance, since no one expects someone to be able to destroy a chakra suppressor. " Itachi explained the plan he had been thinking while making the soup.

Sakura nodded but said nothing, she did not plan to leave without him, she had little time to convince him to go back with her and do whatever was possible for that to happen.

She yawned and Itachi took the bowl from her lap by putting it back on the tray, he took off his sandals and lay on the bed, pulling Sakura with him. She smiled and snuggled into his chest as he covered them with a heavy blanket. "When was the last time you ate or slept?" He asked as he stroked her head.

"I haven't slept for two days." To emphasize the statement, she yawned unintentionally. "And I ate when we left Suna after returning the Kazekage." She murmured sleepily.

"You did some damage and the leader isn't happy about it." Itachi tapped a finger on the tip of her nose as he used to do when he rebuked her. "He intends to kill you when he gets the Jinchuuriki."

"Don't call him that." She said with obvious anger and Itachi remembered the same obvious hatred in her eyes as she broke the floor of the cave when she heard Pein call Gaara that way.

"Uzumaki." Itachi corrected understanding the appreciation she had for her friends. It was the same care she had with him and for a moment he felt a little jealous for not being the one she cared for, so he remembered Tobi's statement earlier. "Sakura, what's your relationship with Sasuke?"

Sakura looked at him in obvious surprise and then she smirked. "Oh, is that because of what that guy said when we were at the base of Akatsuki?" She asked without bothering to respond, causing Itachi to narrow the eyes and nod.

"Don't mind what he said..." She said nonchalantly and did not respond knowing he'd been irritated. Somehow she wanted all of his reactions at once after all the time they had lost.

"Sakura, answer the question." He said with obvious irritation making her laugh.

"If you want to know, we met two days before that Kazekage rescue mission started. I had not seen him for three years since he left with Kakashi to train. We exchanged letters during those years, but Sasuke is like a brother to me, just like Naruto." She answered truthfully and snuggled even closer to his chest. "Why were you angry at what that guy said?"

Itachi squeezed her body even closer to his. "I don't want you to date him." He declared without hesitation.

She pulled back a little to look into his eyes. "I'm not good enough for your little brother?" She asked a little curious about his motives and a little irritated.

Itachi smiled at her. "You don't understand, do you?" He watched as her face changed from annoyed to confused and he remembered how much he loved those expressions. "No one is good enough for you!" He ran the hand over the back of her head sinking back into his chest. "Sleep my Saku-chan. Let's talk more tomorrow."

Without any questioning she allowed herself to fall into the best sleep she had since he left her.

* * *

Sakura woke up the next morning and realized he was not in bed with her. She lifted and lit the candle beside the bed, realizing for the first time that the room had no windows and that there was not a single clock nearby. She put on the sandals that were on the floor next to the bed and got the first thing she found to protect herself from the cold, a cape that hung on a chair beside the bed. She would do a complete medical check up on Itachi as soon as she had the chance, because if he lived in that cold place, without ventilation for so long, he would have at least developed a bronchitis.

She walked out the door and walked for the hall toward his chakra. Opening a different door she placed the head first to assess the room, she smiled unconsciously as Itachi stood in front of a stove with an apron over the Akatsuki's cape trying to fry a egg. Sakura had to suppress the laughter, she thought that after all these years he had given up trying this almost impossible task for him, not that she was to vocalize that the all-powerful Uchiha Itachi was incapable of such a simple thing she did not want to face a deadly battle shortly after waking.

"Good Morning." She greeted him with a smile and walked toward him, realizing that there was a red cloud stamped on the apron. "It matches your eyes." She sneered and was pleased to see his eyes narrowing with irritation. "Let me do this." She asked gently as she pulled the spatula out of his hand.

"Negative." He took the spatula out of her reach and returned the task of frying the egg. "Good Morning." He answered belatedly. "Sit there and wait." He pointed to the small table with two seats.

Sakura took a deep breath remembering how much he used to command instead of asking. She sat and watched as he discarded egg after egg, after the fifth poor imperfect egg, Sakura rose from the table and plucked the spatula out of his hand, surprising him. "I can do this." It was the only thing he said and she wanted to scream that he couldn't, but abstained, thinking that starting the Fourth War Shinobi on account of an egg was stupid.

"Tachi-kun, let me prepare something for you, please." She said in the sweetest voice she had and congratulated herself when he gave a defeated sigh and took off his apron, settling on the chair opposite to which she had chosen.

Sakura prepared two cheese omelet quickly and sat down at the table placing a plate in front of him another for her, Itachi poured the juice and they ate in silence until Itachi could not take it anymore. "Why is so easy for you?" He said in a low but obviously irritated voice.

Sakura could no longer contain her laughter, she laughed for a few minutes and when she recovered the breath realized he had a mortal look towards her. "Sorry, Itachi." She put a hand over his. "You don't know how to fry eggs."

"Sakura..." He started but she held up a hand interrupting whatever he was going to say to retaliate.

"It's okay, nobody is perfect and know that have something you can't do is a sign that you're still human." She squeezed his hand and ate again hoping the conversation was over, but she was so wrong.

"I can do everything and I'm a human." He responded indignantly and finished eating, he took the dirty dishes from the table and led to the sink. "I'll prove it to you." He said with determination as he tied the apron again.

Sakura knew where that was going and for a moment she hated herself for saying that Itachi could not do something, where she was with the head. She used her strategic knowledge to try to dissuade him. "Tachi-kun, we have so much to talk about and solve, now. I promise to eat whatever you prepare later."

He nodded after a few seconds, discarded the apron and put a hand on her back leading her to the hall toward the bedroom. "Thank you for the breakfast." He added belatedly.

* * *

That morning Neji woke up as soon as it dawns and ran down the roofs of houses and shops of Konoha toward Sakura's apartment, he came in through the sliding balcony door and was surprised to see that the protective jutsus were off. No surprising that someone had access to her home if the protections were off, but it was still suspect because Sakura was too capable of defending herself.

He entered the room and fed the bird that with meat, knowing that doing so would fall to the good graces of that creature. "Kuro, you need to find Sakura for us." He said while stroking his head, as soon as Kuro finished eating he flew towards the window, and with one last glance at Neji as if to say that he understood, the bird flew skyward.

Neji breathed in relief for the first time since was called by the Hokage in the last night. He would never say it out loud to anyone but Sakura became a very important person to him and he would kill anyone who dares to hurt her. She was provocative, gentle and spontaneous, everything he was not and it drew him almost instantly, she was a valued friend and he would protect her with everything he could.

* * *

They were lying on the big bed, talking about nothing important, trying to forget that they were in a difficult situation, with Sakura being held hostage by a very dangerous group of which Itachi was a member. Suddenly, Sakura was surprised when Itachi began to cough uncontrollably. He rose from the bed without looking at her and walked quickly toward the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

As he left the bathroom, Sakura walked toward him and pulled him back to the bed. "Tachi, let me do one thing?" She asked, and when he nodded without hesitation, she laid him on his back on the bed and climbed into him, placing her hands on his chest. She ignored the scent of blood coming from his mouth and felt his heartbeat accelerate, but she ignored it too, not wanting to be arrogant and thinking that she could arouse that kind of reaction in him.

Itachi watched as her hands emitted a different chakra from what he used to see and he felt the chakra flow through his body, it hardened as he realized she was examining him. Instinctively, he grabbed her wrists, but she did not back away and he was once again surprised at her strength.

"I'll not hurt you." She said in a neutral voice.

"I know." He stated, knowing that she would never do anything to hurt him even though he was, supposedly, the enemy. But his fear was that she would discover that he was seriously sick. He did not mean to tell her that he did not care about his own health because he intended to be killed by Sasuke's hands.

After a few minutes Sakura looked at him with evident pain reflecting in her green eyes. "Itachi." She whispered in despair. "You have a severe infection." She stated it and waited for him to respond that he had no idea about this.

"I know." He replied looking at her with no expression on his features.

"Do you know?" She asked incredulously. "Do you know you can die if you don't treat it?" She insisted on hoping he would deny it, but when he nodded she lost. "What is the problem with you? Do you intend to die?" She screamed this time, allowing all the desperation she was feeling, to out.

"It's not like you haven't done the same." He responded with a little irritation and put his hands on her waist to prevent her from running away. If she accused him of something he would also confront her.

Sakura paused for a few seconds and clenched her jaw to keep the calm. "She told you, didn't she?"

Itachi nodded. "What were you thinking of trying to end your life?" He asked with obvious disgust in his voice.

"You're one to talk... You're dying and you don't care." She snapped and tried to get off him but he squeezed her waist further, keeping her in the same position.

"I'm a murderer, a missing ninja, a member of a criminal organization, it would be good for the world if I died, but you..." Itachi was surprised by a slap in the face. He recovered from the shock quickly and looked at Sakura who had red cheeks and he did not know if it was anger for what he said or for the shame of having beaten him.

"Never say that again. You don't deserve to die." She whispered and he saw a tear trickling down her cheek. She wondered how things ended up like that and decided to clarify. "I was a child, I spent a lot of time alone at home, my precious friend left me and everything I heard everywhere was about how you were a monster. The Uchiha clan massacre was a subject for years in that village. I was so depressed that I lost you... You didn't send a note and I thought you were dead." She took a deep breath. "It's not your fault, I was weak..." She felt his hand caressing her cheek and she fell on his chest. "I'm so sorry." She moaned and kissed his cheek where she'd hit him and he leaned into her touch.

"I'll treat you, Itachi. I'll cure you." She said and tried to get up but he caught her, wrapping the arms around her.

"I intended to leave Sasuke kill me." He said before changing the mind.

This time he could not stop her from rising, she managed to escape of his grip and lifted the top of her body to look into his eyes. "I'll never allow it." She said with determination. "I'll treat you. It will take a few days, but I can cure. You must have trouble breathing, so you will not use the fire jutsu until I allow. You don't have allowed to leave me, do you hear? " She said with clenched teeth.

Itachi got lost in the green of her eyes and the only thing he could do was nod and agree with everything she said.

She breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded. "I also saw that your eyes are failing." She bit her lip nervously for having assessed his sharingan knowing how Uchihas are with respect to their most precious weapon. "I read some scrolls I found somewhere."

"At Danzo's office." Itachi interrupt her.

"What the hell did she tell you?" Sakura cried indignantly.

"The enough." He stated with the shadow of a smile adorning his lips.

"Whatever." She said a little pout. "I can help with your sharingan, but your lungs are the priority."

He looked at her for a few seconds. "You hit me." He stated and watched as her cheeks turned red and he knew that at that moment she was really embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry." She lowered the head in shame.

Itachi smirked and discovered exactly how he would punish her. "You know, Saku-chan, I might have liked." He watched contentedly as she raised the head abruptly and widened the eyes in surprise.

"Did you liked?" She asked him completely embarrassed, making him even more pleased.

"Let's find out?" He teased. Sakura gasped and tried to get rid of him again, but he stopped her and turned her so she was under him. "You should not play with fire. I taught you before that you can only challenge an opponent if you have confidence that you can win." He whispered in her ear.

"Who said I can't win?" She challenged him and he looked into her eyes and felt a fire heat all over the body with the look she was giving him.

"What did you do to my innocent little girl?" He asked, almost breathless.

"I turned her into a woman. You were gone for a long time, Tachi." She replied to provoke him back. She was an ANBU agent and would not be intimidated by anyone. She had a share of seduction missions before, and even if the missions required no contact, she knew how to tease a man.

Itachi felt a blind rage at the thought that she might have been touched by another man. He could not stop his hands, one hand wrapped around her hair and the other caught her wrists above her head and he realized that this was becoming common for them. "Tell me no one has touched you, Sakura." He watched all the challenge fire fade from her eyes.

"Nobody touched me." She screamed outraged and he loosened the deadly grip he had on her as that statement flooded him with relief.

"And did you touch anyone?" She asked uncertainly and bit the lower lip.

He watched as she shifted dramatically from a provocative woman to an insecure girl. "You're the one to me, Sakura." It was the only thing he could say to her. He was a little annoyed that she did not realize he would never look or touch any woman but her. Then he remembered that he left when she was still a child, and he was the only in love. This realization made him come out of her and lie next to her completely losing his earlier desire to provoke her.

Sakura was ecstatic at the statement she wondered if he could see her like a woman but did not have the courage to ask and she knew it was not the right time or place to declare. She was afraid he would look at her differently after to know that she had feelings for him. If he did not corresponded, she would suffer, but she would bear it, having him close was enough, she loved him too much to want him more than he was willing to give her.

Before they could say anything Itachi felt a presence approaching where they were. Sakura watched as he got up from the bed, bit his finger and made a summon seal on the floor.

"Kuro." She exclaimed with joy as the bird appeared and flew straight at her. "Who sent you?" She asked curiously. "Shikamaru?" She asked and saw when he shook his head. "Of course he wouldn't ... Was Neji-kun?" She asked and saw when Kuro nodded in confirmation and was surprised when Itachi growled.

She looked at Itachi, curiously. "What happened?"

"Neji-kun?" It was the only thing he said and she could understand him perfectly, she was taken back to a time where they had that same ridiculous conversation.

"You forbade me to call affectionately to Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru." She said petulantly.

"Then include this Neji and any other!" He demanded and sat next to her on the bed.

She decided to ignore the discussion, but for a moment she thought that Itachi had always been possessive with her, filling her heart with hope that he felt the same. She smiled unconsciously. "Lend me paper and pen, I need to tell Konoha that I'm alive."

He nodded and took what she asked for from the bedside table. Sakura wrote a brief note addressed to Tsunade explaining that she was captured by an Akatsuki member because of an internal communication failure. She asked Tsunade to pick up a parchment she had left with Yamato and store the information on the parchment until she returned to Konoha. Itachi looked at her, suspecting that this parchment had something about him and that Sakura was hiding something. He abandoned that thought and decided to wait for the course of things. He would eventually find out.

"Take this to Shishou and get back here. I may need you and you need to be fed." The bird decided not to tell her that he had already received food, it would not hurt to eat twice, so he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"I didn't dispense him." Itachi stated with obvious confusion in his voice.

"You didn't, I did." Sakura smiled arrogantly.

"You did a contract with my crows?" He asked even though he was sure the answer would be yes.

"You know me so well." Sakura said in a sung voice and smiled at him. "Now take off that cape and lie on the bed. I'll start healing you."

Itachi smirked as he obeyed her, hoping that one day she would ask him to take off his cloak for a different reason.


	14. Loyalty

In Konoha, Tsunade opened the window of the office when she heard a light knock coming outside, she opened the glass and stroked the bird's head that rested on the window parapet, she took the note that was wrapped around his neck and set it on the table. Tsunade took a piece of apple from a plate on the table and handed it to the bird. She narrowed the eyes as he tilted the head in denial. "Look here, you rascal, if Shinuze forces me to eat this thing you'll go too. I know Sakura only gives you meat at dinner, so be grateful for the fruit." She growled and smiled with satisfaction as he devoured the fruit without question. He gave a look that she knew meant goodbye and watched as the crow flew toward the walls of Konoha.

She sat down at the table happy to be able to push that fruit to another victim other than herself, Shizune's exaggerated cares sometimes bothering her.

Tsunade took the note and read, narrowing the eyes at each sentence.  _'What are you planning, brat?'_  She thought to herself after discovering that Sakura was in the hands of the enemy and had no intention of asking for help.

"Shizune, I want Yamato in my office already!" She screamed, hoping this parchment did not mean trouble.

She let out a tired sigh and massaged the forehead.  _'I'm too old for this job.'_

Turning to an ANBU that was on the branch of the tallest tree outside the office. "I want Hatake, Uchiha, Uzumaki, Hyuuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru and Sai in my office." She knew that Sakura was capable of taking care of herself, and if Sakura said she was well and did not need ransom, she would trust her apprentice. She only hoped those seven super protectors men surrounding her apprentice thought the same.

* * *

Sakura sat in a chair beside the bed and examined Itachi again, this time she deepened the examination, knowing what to look for, confirming that the damage to the lungs was extensive. She froze in place with wide eyes when she realized that he had damage not only in the lungs, but also in the kidneys and heart, she wondered how he could stand with so much internal damage. It would take longer than expected to heal him since she discovered that he had a rare disease that affects the blood vessels rather than the lung infection she previously thought. She leaned back in the chair and looked at him uneasily. "What do you feel and how long?"

He looked at her with a flash of amusement in his eyes. "Are we playing of medic and patient, Saku-chan?"

Sakura growled at him irritably. "It's no time for jokes, Itachi, I'm really worried with you." She said with obvious frustration in her voice and he watched as she squeezed the sweater she was wearing to control the anger.

Itachi sighed, he had an almost uncontrollable desire to tease her, but he did not want to see her so worried. "Two years ago I started to have difficulty to breathing, but I ignored it thinking that it was because of the conditions of spending so much time in this cold and humid base, but in the last year I started having chest and back pain. I searched in scrolls and got some medicine to slow the pain, but I didn't see a doctor for having to kill him later. "

Sakura listened attentively to what he said and made sure he did not go to a doctor for not caring whether or not he died instead of the consciousness of having to kill someone. She began to think of all the things she had read about this disease and how it would do to heal it more effectively and less painfully. "I'm going to start with the lungs where the greatest damage was done. I suspect you have a rare disease that affects your body's blood vessels, and may have been aggravated by the extensive use of the mangekyou sharingan." She ran a hand over her face in frustration. "You will not want me to numb you, so try to take the pain, and my dear, it will hurt!" She warned before putting her hands on his chest and spilling the healing chakra. Itachi closed the eyes tightly and clenched his fists and teeth to endure the acute pain that penetrated every centimeter of his body.

One hour later, Sakura was surprised to see that he was still awake and looking intensely at her, any other shinobi would have fainted a long time ago. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of the long sweater and leaned back in the chair. "Sorry about that." She said in a broken voice and watched as he nodded and closed his eyes, putting the arm over his face with obvious tiredness.

Sakura felt his hand on hers on the bed. "Thank you." She heard him say with genuine gratitude, still covering the eyes with the arm.

She took his hand away after one minute. "I'm going to prepare something for you to eat, I'm sorry for the pain, but unfortunately I only completed 30% of the treatment. We'll have to continue later, I have very little time and a lot to do for you."

"My eyes?" He asked in a tired voice.

She smiled knowing how much he valued his sharingan. "After I'm sure you're safe of all the damage to your organs I promise to heal your sharingan." She promised and got up from the chair, leaving the room toward the kitchen, ready to make the best lunch to reward him. She hated seeing him suffer, but if it meant he would survive, then it would be worth it.

* * *

Sakura was finishing the lunch, cooking the fish that was in the refrigerator, adding ingredients to the miso soup he had made last night, and making more than enough rice for the two of them. She hoped he was resting now, he would need energy for the rest of the treatment she was going to do. She would also need energy and a lot of chakra.

After putting enough for both on a tray, Sakura felt a shiver rise up her spine, she set the tray on the table and held a kunai behind the back, she tried to think quickly of an excuse to be wandering freely around the place being a prisoner. She waited until the visitor entered the kitchen, she had never felt such a big chakra before, so she concluded that should be Itachi's partner, according to the information Neji had shared after his team faced Kisame.

Kisame opened the kitchen door and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Feeling in home, little kunoichi?"

Sakura was annoyed that they all called her _little_  all the time, first Sasori, then Itachi, now the shark face. She accepted this from Itachi because he was Itachi, but the others. Narrowing the eyes, she stared at him without fear. "Uchiha-sama told me to get food. I can't do much with that, can I?" She pointed to the chakra suppressor around her neck.

"I see why he likes you." Kisame said with a smile and walked to sit at the chair.

"What?" Sakura asked confused. She hoped he would attack her or scold her for something, but that sentence made no sense in her ears.

"You can cut the act of prisoner with me. I know who you are." Kisame stated and laughed lightly as Sakura made an even more confused face that seemed hilarious to his eyes. "You intend to attack me with this kunai?" He mocked.

She frowned and put the kunai in the shorts holder again, ignoring his question. She walked over to the table and picked up the tray of food. "Who do you suppose I am?" She asked cautiously.

Kisame looked at her for a few seconds. "You're his girl. I discovered when he went on a solo mission to watch over you, he almost killed me for catching him watching you." Kisame laughed at the memory. Itachi did not expect anyone to know that he had any attachment to Sasuke or this girl, but being partners for so long allowed this kind of confidentiality. "But I didn't realize it was you in the cave, after Tobi-baka caught you in the pantry I recognized you, I knew Itachi would get you out of there."

Sakura felt the heart leap on the chest when he claimed she was Itachi's girl, she breathed in relief and realized that this guy was not a threat for a while, if he wanted her dead, he would have attacked. She set the tray down on the table again and sat down in front of him. "Did he tell you about me?" She asked really curious.

Kisame smiled and realized why Itachi missed her, she was inviting and the expressions she made were captivating. He nodded at her question. "He doesn't talk much, but the little he talks is always about you or his foolish little brother."

Sakura laughed at the comment about Sasuke. "Sasuke isn't a fool, he just went through difficult times and Itachi didn't make it easy for him." She responded with mild irritation and frowned unconsciously.

"Oh, so you really are dating his little brother?" Kisame asked in genuine surprise.

"No!" Sakura screamed and waved her hands to emphasize. "Sasuke is my friend." She said with conviction.

Kisame leaned across the table to get closer to her face and she realized how big he was. "So, do you like Itachi?" He asked with a wicked grin.

Sakura did not know why she was talking freely to this man who was supposed to be the enemy, but something in her wanted to find out more about Itachi than she had lost in the last few years. She bit the lip and nodded, making the man smile. "He cares about you, but he's an bastard emotionless." Then he realized what he had said. "Don't tell to him." He said with a twinge of desperation in his voice making Sakura smile.

Sakura absorbed this information, and heard Inner Sakura scream in the back of her mind about how foolish she was to doubt his feelings. She did not know if Kisame really did not want Itachi to know they talked about it or if he did not want her to say that he had insulted him for the back. "Is he really that scary?" She sneered and was surprised when Kisame nodded. "He isn't." She replied with an amused voice to see that Itachi really terrified people like that.

"Hmpf. He treats you differently because you're his girl. Look, little one, I recommend you get out of here as fast as you can, the leader wants your head and Deidara doesn't like you too much, if any of them come in here and you are unprotected as now, it can be your end." Kisame warned her.

"I appreciate your concern but I'm a big girl." She blinked and smiled at him and once again Kisame understood why Itachi admired the beauty of this little thing. Sakura got up and picked up the tray, making sure everything was still warm. "You can serve yourself if you want, there's plenty of food." She said over her shoulder as she left the kitchen toward the hallway. "I'll tell to him that you're here."

Kisame smiled when he saw her disappear into the hallway. "You're so screwed up, my friend." He murmured to himself thinking about how Itachi would get her out that place before it was late. He walk to the stove and devouring the food she had made.

* * *

Sakura entered the room and walked to the bed placing the tray on the mattress and sitting next to Itachi. She knew he had succumbed to sleep but woke the moment she opened the bedroom door. She helped him sit down and knew that he was tired because of the invasive chakra inside his body. She had performed this treatment before in some terminal patients with cancer, it was painful and tiring but totally effective in almost a hundred per cent of the cases.

"I can eat alone." He murmured as he leaned back against the head of the bed when he saw her picking up the spoon to feed him.

"I know you're a big guy but it's good to be pampered sometimes." She smiled sweetly at him, hoping he would give in, barely she knew he missed being pampered by her. Her smile widened as he opened the mouth without protesting. "Your partner is here, but you already know that." She continued to feed him.

Itachi let out a frustrated sigh. "You talked." He stated instead of asking and Sakura almost laughed at his obviously frustrated face. Itachi watched as she was suppressing a smile. "He didn't say anything inconvenient, did he?"

Sakura pushed another spoonful of food into his mouth. "What would be  _inconvenient_?" She asked pretending innocence and Itachi narrowed the eyes at her in warning. She laughed lightly. "No, nothing inconvenient, Tachi-kun." After a short break. "He seemed to know about me."

"He likes to meddle in my business." Itachi said with the same serious voice as always and Sakura almost got lost in the hoarse timbre of that voice.

The bedroom door opened and Kisame stared at the scene in front of him with an amused look on face. In all the years he met the stoic Uchiha he never imagined he would see the man being fed by a girl while he looked almost helpless in a bed. "This is an interesting scene." He said with a gigantic smile on his face.

"Tsk." Itachi grunted, not caring about his presence, and opened the mouth waiting for Sakura to feed him. She looked between them and blinked slightly but continued feeding Itachi without question, not wanting to intrude on their interaction and end up doing or saying something unnecessary, after all she did not know how much Kisame knew about her relationship with Itachi.

"I want a private nurse too." Kisame teased and pulled the chair that Sakura had been using earlier and sat next to the bed with some distance from the couple. Itachi activated the sharingan and Sakura watched as Kisame shuddered unconsciously. "Is just a joke." Kisame said in a neutral voice while avoiding red eyes like the plague.

Sakura stared at Itachi's eyes and got lost in that hypnotizing black circle wrapped in red. "Don't activate the mangekyou." She ordered and Kisame wondered if she had any sense of preservation. He lifted the head and stared at them with obvious surprise and he wondered who that little colored hair thing who had the audacity to order anything to the infamous Uchiha Itachi.

"Yes ma'am!" Itachi sneered and blinked in confusion when he heard Kisame gasp. "What is your problem?" Itachi asked his partner.

"Nothing." Kisame said trying to be indifferent. He was surprised to have reacted to Itachi's response, and felt ridiculous for gasping in front of this girl, but it was not his fault, today seemed like a day full of surprises.

"Hn." It was Itachi's response.

Sakura took turns to feed him and eat, when the two finished eating she took the tray and got up from the bed. "I'll wash the dishes, so you can talk privately." She smiled and left the room closing the door behind her.

Kisame looked at Itachi relieved to have disabled the sharingan and thought carefully before opening his mouth so as not to irritate the volatile partner. "She tied you up, buddy." After realizing what he had said, he regretted that he had not thought long enough before he spoke. He almost sighed in relief when Itachi just snorted in response instead of retaliating, and Kisame did not know if it was because Itachi did not want to admit that the statement was true or because he did not care about anyone's opinion about his relationship with the Girl, Maybe it was both.

"She's going to stay here for a while." Itachi chose to change the course of the conversation.

Kisame nodded. "Lider-sama warned everyone about the new prisoner. He said to be alert for Konoha's shinobi next to our bases. Fortunately the genjutsu on this Uchiha base is impenetrable."

"Hn" Itachi nodded. "I need an mission." He stated knowing that Kisame would understand the implication behind this statement.

Kisame understood that he would use the absence to give the girl a chance to escape, but he could not help questioning. "Do you think the leader is going to leave her alone here?"

Itachi understood the logic of him. "I'm going on a mission alone and you're going to stay here in my place."

Kisame smiled as she understood the meaning of this statement, but felt a little offended. "Do you think she can knock me out in a fight?" He asked with obvious amusement in his voice.

"She was trained by me." Itachi replied with an arrogant smile.

"She can't even use chakra..." Kisame insisted knowing that that suppressor worked even on him that had an immense reservoir of chakra thanks to Samehada.

Itachi kept the arrogant smile fixed on his face. "The chakra suppressors don't work on her." He clarified and decided that he needed to arrange a fight between the two soon to make sure that the cover for Sakura's escape would be credible.

Kisame tried not to be surprised to hear this new information and realized belatedly that she had never been undefended, so she did not care when he said she was in danger if someone else besides him came in the base. He smiled unconsciously at the longing for the fight she would offer. "That sounds interesting."

* * *

Sakura took a long time cleaning and organizing the kitchen and decided to prepare something else for the night seeing that Kisame had devoured everything she did for lunch. After what she thought was almost an hour, she knocked on the bedroom door and waited for Itachi to allow her entrance. If they were alone she would not give him that courtesy, but the shark guy might have even more wrong ideas and she decided it would be the next topic of conversation with Itachi, how much that his partner knew about them.

Kisame got up from the chair as soon as she entered the room. "I'm leaving, I'll be back as soon as I have a mission." He declared to Itachi and passed by Sakura waving as a farewell she returned with a small smile not knowing very well how to act now.

"I never told him. He found out for himself." Itachi stated as soon as he felt that Kisame had left the base, knowing very well what Sakura wanted to ask.

Sakura walked over to the bed again and sat down next to him. "You said he likes to meddle in your affairs." She said with amusement. "So he poses no threat to me?" She asked just to be sure.

Itachi leaned closer to her. "Any member of Akatsuki represents a threat to you, Sakura. If Kisame receives an order he will not hesitate to hurt you." He said seriously.

"Understood, I will not let my guard down." She nodded. "But he seems loyal to you."

"He fears me, Kisame knows he doesn't beat me in a serious fight. He's loyal only to the organization. If I desert, he'll hunt me down and try to kill me." Itachi said without emotion.

Sakura thought it made sense, just as every shinobi had to be loyal to own village, the Akatsuki members would also be loyal, for a moment she wondered where Itachi's loyalty was. Deep in her mind she thought for a moment how terrible it must have been for Itachi to have no one's loyalty since leaving Konoha, it was as if he had no real allies or friends who deserved his trust. Without thinking, she laid on the mattress beside him wrapping him in a tight hug, wishing he knew he was not alone any more while she was with him.

"What mission was he talking about before left?" She broke the silence comfortable that had flooded the room.

"I'm going on a mission and leave him here with you, so you can escape without having a connection with me, so they don't suspect since I already belonged to Konoha." He explained. "By the way, you and Kisame will face in a spar soon, I need to make sure your escape is credible."

Sakura sighed in defeat realizing that she was running out of time, she wanted to ask if they would ever see each other again and if he cared about it. "Tachi, I don't want to go back without you." She said with obvious nervousness in her voice.

For a moment he thought she was the same helpless little girl he'd met in the woods years ago. "I thought we'd clarified that already."

"No, we don't. You've decided it all by yourself." She snapped and he was sure she was pouting.

"Sakura, I can't..." He was interrupted when she put the hand over his mouth and this time she looked exactly like that little girl he knew.

"I don't want to hear." She grunted in despair, thinking that if she left him behind this time, they would never see each other again. "I need to cure you." She got up quickly without him having time to stop her and lay his back on the bed making Itachi feel ridiculous for being manipulated that way but before he could complain, Sakura was on her knees on the mattress beside him spilling that healing chakra doing he squirmed in pain and he swore she'd done it on purpose.


	15. Stolen parchments and cold showers

"Hokage-sama." Yamato greeted as soon as she appeared in Tsunade's office through a cloud of smoke, causing Tsunade to bemoan the teaching of using instantaneous transport jutsu at ANBU Academy, she would eventually die of a heart attack one of these days.

"Kuro returned with a note from Sakura." Tsunade stated and handed the note so he could read. "It's confidential." She warned him that he would keep it confidential.

Yamato read the brief note.

**'Shishou, I'm alive. I was captured by the organization responsible for the Kazekage kidnapping, but I haven't yet connected the motive behind my abduction. I ask you not to send search team, after all they are behind Naruto, keep him away. I can hold on for awhile, I promise I'll go back entire as soon as I find a gap. Yamato-taichou has an important parchment that will be useful when I return. Please don't freak out. Love - Sakura'**

When his eyes darted out of the note, Tsunade narrowed the eyes and and held out the hand for the parchment mentioned. Yamato did some hand seals and with a pop and a cloud of smoke the parchment appeared in her hand.

Tsunade felt a weight sink into stomach when she recognized the Hokage's seal next to Danzo's ANBU seal. At that moment she was sure it was not something she wanted to know. "Tell me Sakura didn't steal it."

"It's just a copy, Hokage-sama." Yamato replied without emotion. "She asked me to keep it safe."

Tsunade shook the head in disbelief and wondered what her apprentice was planning. She undid the parchment seals and read, feeling the weight in her stomach increase with each sentence. When she read the last paragraph of that parchment that contained the order of a mission she had wide eyes and dry mouth. She felt an immense wave of disappointment invade every part of her body as she discovered that the man she admired so much allowed something so hideous. Lifting her head to face the agent ANBU in front of her she tried to regain some of the composure. "Do you know the contents of this parchment?"

Yamato nodded and kept the features neutral.

"How long have you and Sakura possessed that? What else do you know that I don't know? How many more atrocities happened in this damn village before I sat in that chair?" Without realizing it she was screaming and clenching her fists, once again letting the explosive temper take the best of her.

"Hokage-sama, I think..." Yamato was going to say that it was better for Sakura to clarify everything since it was she who invaded Danzo's office, using him only as cover and distraction, but Tsudade's hand lifted, interrupting the line of thinking of him.

"Forget it, I'm going to rip everything I need from that reckless girl as soon as she sets foot in this village." Tsunade leaned back in the chair, placing the hands on her face. "Just tell me if there's anything else I need to know about this parchment."

Yamato nodded once more. "Sakura convinced me that it is only fair that he should be acquitted."

The look on Tsunade's face was priceless, but Yamato decided not to comment or show any sign of amusement. He thought for a moment about revealing that Sakura had a copy of all the scrolls some informant retrieved directly from Itachi, but he thought it was too much information at the moment. Sakura told him if Tsunade knew that Uchiha Itachi was not the villain, it would be enough, she would know how much he was still useful to Konoha through himself when he returned.

A knock at the door interrupted the conversation and within a minute all Sakura's partners stormed the room and Yamato thanked the interruption because he thought he would be struck at any moment by a flying chair.

"Hokake-sama. Tenzo." Kakashi greeted as he entered the room leading the others.

Tsunade took a deep breath and made some hand seals to disappear with that parchment keeping it safe longer, but her mind was spinning with thought about how she would absolve the Uchiha clan killer without the council elders who approved the massacre knew until it was too late for them to do anything about it.

"Baa-chan." Naruto's voice brought her out of stupor, bringing her to reality.

"Sakura sent a note stating that she is safe in the Wind country, she received a last minute solo mission from ANBU and I did not know why Shizune approved the mission when I was ... er, unwell." She said the last part knowing that none of them would question her indisposition due to the consumption of sakê.

Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief. "That troubled girl."

Tsunade smiled slightly knowing how much they cared about their precious apprentice. "She returns in one week, maybe a little more."

"Why she didn't warn us, she would meet us at Ichikaru that night. Sakura-chan would not leave without telling us." Naruto said obviously not convinced.

"ANBU classified missions are urgent, Naruto." Kakashi replied knowing that she sure had to leave immediately after the convocation.

Sasuke did not know if he was relieved or angry. He knew how ANBU agents had no choice or time for goodbyes, reminding of all the times that Shisui and Itachi were summoned, but that did not take away the thought that Sakura took the opportunity to get away from him and he felt a pang of anguish at the thought that she was hiding things from him.

"Dismissed." Tsunade's voice echoed through the office, dismissing them all. "Yamato and Hatake stay."

As soon as the others left she shouted at Shizune to bring the saké. She had a lot to organize this week before Sakura came back and the two shinobi in front of her would be more than useful.

* * *

"I can't believe Sakura-chan dismissed us like that." Naruto said in a disheartened voice as he kicked a stone as they left the Hokage Tower.

"It's not like she has a choice." Neji defended, knowing how much Sakura was dedicated to her work.

"Ugly is a dedicated agent, classified missions require immediate dispensation." Sai contributed to her defense.

"Ugly?" Sasuke asked really curious about the nickname.

"Don't ask." Shikamaru grunted.

Sai smiled coldly. "It's a nickname, did you know that giving nicknames to your friends demonstrates how intimate you are? Normally nicknames are given according to the person's characteristics." He explained seriously.

"What world have you come from, man?" Naruto asked with an indignant face.

"So you think Sakura is ugly?" Sasuke asked.

Sai made a confused face and Sasuke thought it was the first time he had seen any kind of emotion in this boy. "At first I thought she was, but I did not have much contact with girls anyway. After seeing more girls in that village I realized that Sakura is indeed one of the less ugly ones, but I read in a book that girls like to be provoked, so I kept the nickname. "

"What kind of books do you read?" Neji asked sarcastically, after an uncomfortable silence fell on the group.

"I'm going to get out of here. Strangeness must be contagious." Naruto grumbled before heading out towards Ichikaru. "Hey Sasuke, let's eat ramen." He yelled over his shoulder.

Sasuke looked at the others and with a look that said.  _Do you come?_

Shrugging, the others followed without question.

* * *

Sakura was not sure what time it was because the room had no windows or clock, but she thought they spent most of the day locked in that place. After hours of treatment she wondered how he was still awake. "We're almost halfway there." Sakura said with a weary sigh as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I think with three more intense sessions like this, we will be done and you will be totally free of this disease."

Itachi smiled weakly and lay there for fear that if he tried to get up he would eventually fall and playing the fool role. He managed to raise his right hand with some effort and took the fringe of Sakura out of the way to caress her forehead, then something caught his attention. "What is it?" He asked in a husky voice much than usual.

"Oh." Sakura muttered, putting her hand over his, unconsciously. "That's my Yin seal." She declared without emotion. If it were in any other situation she would speak full of pride, but the exhaustion of the extensive use of healing chakra took almost all her energy.

Itachi did not take his eyes off the purple seal on her forehead. "The secret technique of one of the legendary sannin. The creation of the rebirth..." He said almost breathless and did not know whether it was the admiration for Sakura or the weariness and exhaustion.

Sakura nodded. "Are you proud of me?" She asked with a hopeful smile.

Itachi smiled again. "I've always been proud of you." He let the hand drop from her forehead and stroked her hair by pulling it behind her ear. "You shouldn't cover it."

Sakura nodded, getting out of the chair where she was sitting she extinguished the flame of candle that was on the bedside table and lay down next to him to regain the lost energy. Sakura closed the eyes certain that sleep would soon reach her and perhaps when she woke up all her plans would materialize.

* * *

Itachi woke up the next morning missing the comfortable warmth beside him. And before he even opened his eyes he scolded himself for getting used to her presence again, it would only make it all harder when she left.

He got out of bed feeling that all the pain of the night before had disappeared. He walked sleepily toward the bathroom pulling out the sweat-covered clothes and tossing them along the way, he would pick up later when he was really wide awake. Opening the bathroom door he did not even notice that the light was already on, rubbing his sleepy eyes he jerked his head up and took a step toward the shower only to freeze in place with the sight before him.

Sakura was standing in front of him as the water cascaded over her, he activated the sharingan unconsciously, she was completely naked, petrified, with her eyes and mouth open in shock, and Itachi did not know whether to cursed or thanked for the morning drowsiness that he would use as an excuse for him to commit such a deliciously wrong act.

"Sorry." It was the only thing he could say and even for him it seemed that there was no fault in his voice and even with that statement his body did not move a single centimeter and the red eyes eagerly drank from the sight before him.

Sakura recovered her basic functions and managed to cover the important parts with her hand and he found it lovely the way a furiously red blush adorned her cheeks. "You're going to leave or I'm going to take you out." She threatened with clenched teeth and Itachi pondered whether it would be worth having a punch of her for just one more moment of appreciation.

"Hn." He decided that having the ribs broken early in the morning was not the best way to start the day, turning his heel out of the bathroom, closing the door and leaning back against it with a sigh and a cheeky grin on his face.

* * *

Sakura was still half mortified by the event.

 **"He saw everything."**  Inner screamed stunned in the back of her mind making Sakura feel the cheeks burn even more.  **"And that was unfair because he still had the boxers."**  She murmured and Sakura knew that her personality was pouting.

"Damn." It was the only thing she could murmur, then turned off the shower and grabbed a towel that was on the hook.

 **"Oh come on, he was a vision... And you saw the look on his face?! He certainly appreciated what we have to offer."**  Inner said with amusement and pride.

"Damn... Damn... Damn." Sakura muttered even more shame. She saw the look on his face and how the sharingan activated instantly and she knew that the image of her naked and wet would be burned in his mind forever.

She put on the clothes and combed the hair in record time, coming out of the bathroom, finding Itachi reclining on the wall beside the door with her arms folded across her bare chest. "All yours." Sakura said without looking at him as she ran out of the room making Itachi feel a small twinge of guilt.

Itachi loocked for a few more minutes at the door where she had disappeared and entered the bathroom craving a very cold shower. He did not want to have entered the bathroom and seen Sakura like that, but he would not lie to himself saying he was not happy he did. That image would never come out of his mind again and he thanked her for having something to warm him up after she was gone from his life all over again. Shaking the head lightly with the intention of sending those depressive thoughts away, he went into the shower and allowed the very cold water to solve all the problems he was in at that moment. Itachi blamed himself for never being able to maintain self-control in front of that pink haired girl.

After putting on a black tank top over the long-sleeved knit shirt and the baggy pants, Itachi left the cape aside this time and headed toward the kitchen where he smelled a delicious scent emanating. He stepped inside and allowed himself to enjoy Sakura's vision using his clothes that seemed a bit loose on her, but still were perfect in his eyes, standing against on the stove cooking for him.

If it had been in other times, maybe in another life, he would be ecstatic to have her as his wife, being his alone, belonging only to him, but their reality was different and he would have to let her go, so he accepted that this perfect moment was just an illusion and would bring more pain when it was over. These resolutions did not dispel the annoying voice that screamed in his mind that even far away Sakura would always belong to him.

She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a small shy smile, making him walk there and stand behind her smelling the hair. "Sakura..." He intended to apologize.

"Sit there, I'll serve the breakfast." She said pointing with a spatula to the table that was already prepared. He understood that she was still ashamed of what had happened but would not hold the anger against him since it was obviously an accident. Then he obeyed and sat down at the table waiting for the promise of a delicious breakfast.

Sakura put all the things she had prepared and sat in front of him. "You're going to need to shop soon." She warned as she poured some juice for both of them.

Itachi nodded and took advantage of everything before him and once again the thoughts of this being a common occurrence if they could be a normal couple invaded his troubled mind bringing a bitter taste in the mouth but he would not waste the food she made with so much effort and affection, then he forced himself to eat and swallow the knot that formed in the throat.

"Can we train a little before another healing session? I'm feeling rusty." She asked shyly as she looked into his eyes.

Itachi felt a stab in the chest and did not know if it was because of the way she looked at him or the disease that still tormented him. He nodded, understanding how bored she must have been after nearly three days locked in that place without seeing the light of day. "Open that curtain."

Sakura tilted the head to the side with obvious curiosity, got up from the chair and walked over to the large cream-colored curtain that covered half of one of the kitchen walls. She gasped in genuine surprise when she saw an open area surrounded by tall trees and right in the middle of them was a cherry tree that was not yet bloomed due to the improper season, but Sakura would recognize that trunk anywhere. The thick curtain would not let the sun's light come in so she'd never know there was a glass door behind it.

"Training area." He said behind her and when she lifted the head to face him they both realized how close they were and Itachi took a step back. He circled Sakura and opened the glass door, smiling at her indicating that she should leave.

Sakura took a deep breath, letting the pure air invade the lungs for the first time in two full days, and maybe a little more, she felt half lost without the sun to guide her. She took a few steps into the middle of the well-trimmed green grass before her, realizing that the field was considerably large, near the trees there were some well-tended flower beds that instantly caught her attention. "Who takes care?" She asked as she walked toward the flowers.

"Me." Itachi said proudly when he saw a smile on her face. He knew how much she loved flowers and every time he took care of the flowers of that place was thinking about Sakura.

She looked at him and smiled even more. "I trained you well." She scoffed and ran into the middle of the field again taking a fighting stance.

Itachi snorted at her bold statement and he would never admit that he had heard everything she said about caring for flowers and plants during all the years they spent together as a child. He walked over to her and held the arms in defensive position.

Sakura kept the eyes on his foot, learning at the last encounter with the copy he used to attack them while they were behind Gaara, that he could use genjutsu only with the movement of his hand, something he did not know when he was still thirteen. Sakura was anxious to know how much he had improved in the last few years.

She rushed toward him with a few punches that he easily deflected, she was already waiting for it, it was just heating. She created a kage bunshin when he retreated exactly where she wanted him, the clone kicked his legs to unbalance him but he jumped causing her to curse. Sakura discovered a technique that allowed to create clones with completely masked chakra, catching the enemy unprepared, but him was not any enemy, he was Uchiha Itachi. She dissipated the clone and aimed the fist to punch the ground, but was intercepted by Itachi holding her arm behind her back faster than she could see. "Don't destroy my field." He said with an amused voice and Sakura stopped all movements instantly.

"You're no fun." She grunted pushing him toward the ground, and he brought her with him to fall on his chest.

"Enough to warm?" He asked as he stroked her hair.

"I didn't come close, I want to force you to activate the sharingan, I want to show you how good I am." She said the determination as she rested the chin on his chest and stared at the black eyes with obvious tenderness.

"I know what you're capable of Sakura and I also want to fight you. But healing sessions consume a lot of your chakra." At that moment she realized that he did not intend to fight seriously from the start and let the subject fall, they would have some time to seriously fight with chakra and sharingan soon.

She buried the forehead against his chest. "You saw me naked." She murmured in a muffled voice and he almost laughed at how childish she looked at that moment.

"It wasn't the first time." He said defensively.

She lifted the head and narrowed the eyes at him. "I was six." She remembered that he was mentioning the time when she had the broken arm and he had to help her take a shower for more than one month, but they were still children at that time, she felt a bit offended by being compared to herself of six years.

"You've grown up, Sakura." He said in a hoarse voice making the offense she felt to be replaced by a foreign heat in the belly.

"Shut up." She murmured and let the head fall back into his chest, hiding the blush that adorned her cheeks. She smiled when felt his chest vibrate and a really cheerful laugh invade the countryside around them. She did not want it to end, having him so close was too good.

* * *


	16. Resolutions

They rested on the green grass of the open field feeling the wind against the skin and the warmth of the sun warm their bodies. "This complex belongs to the Uchiha clan?" Sakura asked lazily.

"Hn." Itachi grunted and Sakura knew that sound was affirmative, she was pleased to still know how to identify what each  _'hn'_  meant.

"It's been my home when I'm not forced to stay at one of Akatsuki's bases." He clarified after some time, being really happy to share things with her again.

"Tachi, do you miss home?" Sakura asked in a low voice.

After a few minutes of silence and a defeated sigh he decided that would better seize this unique opportunity and let her know everything that was in his mind and heart. "I miss you and Sasuke." When she lifted the head to look him in the eyes, he declared. "You're my home."

Sakura hugged him tightly. "Come back to us."

Itachi sat abruptly making her sit on his lap. "Sakura, I can't go back."

She looked into his eyes and fought with herself about telling him about everything she was planning, but decided against it, Itachi hated when he did not have full control over anything and she was sure that did not change. Then she wrapped the arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, standing up and walking toward the glass door. "Guide me on a tour?" She asked with a weak smile.

They walked through the place and Itachi showed her a few more rooms that had only bed and dresser, the large entrance area she remembered was where they landed when he pulled her out of the pantry at the base of the Akatsuki. He led her into the underground where everything was stone and extremely cold.

She walked through the huge space towards a small stairs, she went up the stairs and looked at him with an amused look. "A throne?" She asked and sat on the stone throne that was above the stairs in front of a tapestry hung on the wall.

"My queen." He said with a seductive smile as he knelt in front of her taking her hand and kissing it sweetly.

"Oh, I like that." She said with a seductive smile, too.

Itachi laughed lightly and got to his feet. "This was already here when I arrived."

Sakura tapped the chin thoughtfully. "I bet it was Uchiha Madara who put it here. Although every Uchiha has a little..." She stopped the sentence in half when Itachi narrowed the eyes in warning.

"I was going to say that you, Uchihas, have good taste." She defended herself with false innocence.

"Of course you would." He said with obvious sarcasm.

He reached out to her as she descended from the stone throne, leading her upstairs again, where his room was. She walked into the room before him as if the place belonged to her making him feel good in some way. "What would you say if I declared that there is the slightest possibility that Uchiha Madara is alive?" Itachi said seriously catching her off guard.

Sakura turned abruptly and stared at him as if he had said the most insane thing she had ever heard. But after a few seconds her face was adorned with a thoughtful look. "A body preservation jutsu, maybe?" She murmured knowing that Itachi never jumped to conclusions or threw words into the wind, for he had declared this to her, certainly had spent a lot of time thinking about it, she only wondered why he would have to think about it. "Orochimaru would kill for such a jutsu... Indeed, he killed many in search of that." She declared with disgust.

Itachi nodded and thanked Kami for Sakura never taking him for a fool. "Do you think it is possible?"

Sakura sat at the bed and looked at him. "Nidaime created the edo-tensei that was perfected by Orochimaru, that bastard used to fight with the Sandaime in the invasion a few years ago." She took some time to think. "I think there might be some jutsu capable of keeping him alive or even resuscitating him." She laughed lightly. "But a person must be completely insane and have a desire for destruction to bring that man back."

"Language." Itachi scolded, giving her nose a lightly tapping with a finger.

She wrinkled the nose in irritation. "You mean Orochimaru isn't a bastard?"

"He's worse. But that beautiful mouth shouldn't say ugly words." He said with a smile running his thumb over her lower lip happy to make her blush.

"I want to know the reason for your speculation?" She asked as he withdrew his hand from her lip and sat on the bed too, taking off his sandals to lie down on the mattress and prepare for the torture of the healing session that was to come.

"There's no reason to worry your pretty little head." He said and lay in bed willing to close the matter, but kept things she said kept in mind for future research. As always, Sakura was intelligent and helpful, offering useful theories for him.

She nodded, deciding that if it was something relevant he would let her know. She thought of something else that she wanted to ask a long time ago and she gathered all the courage she had to ask the question and more to hear the answer that would come. "Tachi, how was..." She sigh. "...the massacre?" She decided to ask now that he was relaxed.

Itachi knew this question was consuming her, years ago and he hoped she'd asked the first night together, so he was not surprised for she asked now. He sighed heavily. "It was the worst thing I've ever had to do in my life. The war doesn't compare to the horrors I saw and did that night." He tried to keep his voice neutral but wanted to unburden. He had never talked about it and always knew that if he ever had to talk to anyone about that cursed night it would be Sakura who would listen. It would always be Sakura.

He did not have the courage to look into her eyes, but he felt her hand on his, giving him confidence to continue. "Everyone in the District was resting inside their homes. Uchihas are people of habits and always disciplined. Most people were sleeping, especially children, which made it a bit easier." He felt her hand squeezing his. "My father was waiting for me, somehow he knew..." He looked at her this time and saw tears clouding those green orbs and he felt a lump forming in his now dry throat. "He said he was proud of me, do you believe that?" He gave a dry chuckle. "He was proud of a killer."

Sakura saw so much repulsion stamped on his face that he felt the need to intervene. "He was proud of your courage. You chose to protect your village, your country." She said with conviction and a voice full of understanding.

"I saved my village in exchange for becoming the killer of my clan." He grunted without guilt or remorse. "My mother... her eyes were filled with compassion before turning on her back and kneeling before me." He closed the eyes for a moment and immediately the image of his mother appeared in his mind bringing a wave of guilt he had not felt in years.

"Tachi..." Sakura whispered with a twinge of desperation.

He opened the eyes that moment, staring at Sakura desperately. "I stuck a sword in her heart." He said with self-loathing.

Sakura gasped unconsciously, completely regretting that she had asked. "That's enough, I should never have asked." She pulled herself under him so his head slid down her thighs. "I'm so sorry." She said as the tears streamed down her face like a river, falling and landed on his face just below the eyes. Itachi thanked her for crying for him, because since that night more than seven years ago he never cried again. He let her cry for the two of them that morning that did not look so bright anymore.

"I used my sharingan on Sasuke. I made him see the death of my parents through my eyes." He did not know what made him say it to her, but he wanted her to know everything.

Sakura opened the eyes and he saw something in her eyes that he had never seen before, not aimed at him at least. "You did what?" Her voice was bound with hatred and it was that feeling he saw reflected in those eyes and he decided that did not fit her.

He sat up abruptly and stood beside her. "He needed a reason to move on." He hoped that this justification would change that expression on her face, it was the justification he gave himself every day by remembering how much suffering he had pushed on Sasuke.

"And you decided that to show his parent's murder by the hands of his brother, the person he loved and admired more everything in this world, was the best way to get him to move on after losing everything?" Itachi watched as he was trying to maintain control of her strength, clenching the fists at her side and keeping the voice low with clenched teeth so as not to scream in his face.

"He's a shinobi, an Uchiha." He claimed keeping the tone neutral.

"He was a nine-year-old." She screamed at his face and he realized that the response he'd given had been less than satisfactory in judging by her reaction. "He was a child, damn it!" She got up from the bed and continued to stare at him with obvious fury. "He lost everything he had in a single night and you made him see everything?! Do you have any idea how much you broke him? He didn't move on, he was stuck in the past, bound by the obsession with ending the life of the person who took all of him." She finished almost breathless and looked at him with a completely different expression. "You wanted it. You wanted him to feed his hatred for you, so he'd work on getting stronger and killing you."

He recognized that expression, it was disbelief. She looked at him as if he were completely insane, and maybe he was, because hearing her speaking aloud seemed an absurd and ridiculous idea even to him.

"You thought the only way to bring peace to him would be to allow him to kill you, avenging the clan and his family." She looked at the floor for a few minutes and Itachi reached out to pull her into his lap but she took a step back and he felt his eyes widening in surprise. Sakura never moved away from him, she never refused his touch. She looked up and he saw disappointment and pain etched on every inch of her pretty face. "You never thought how he would feel when he discovered that you weren't to blame for all this, as it would be for him to know that he killed the one he most loved for a mistake." She took another step back when a tear fell on face without her realizing it. "You never thought how I would feel about him killing you... how I would hate Sasuke for taking you away from me." She did not wait for him to respond, leaving the room and shouting over the shoulder without bothering to look at him. "Leave me alone for a while."

Itachi felt his heart clenching with every step she took away from him and the only thing he could think of was that if she had not hated him all those years, she certainly would now.

* * *

Sakura left the building, walking through the green grass and she thanked Itachi for showing that part of the place to her earlier, because she would surely suffocate inside those walls after everything she heard. She felt a pang of guilt for having left him alone after hearing all the hell he'd gone through that fateful night that changed their lives, but she could not look at him knowing he'd hurt Sasuke on purpose. She wondered how it would have been different if Sasuke had not seen his parents' death at Itachi's hands, maybe he would have believed that Itachi was innocent and would fight beside her to find proof of his innocence, she wondered if he would be so devoted to Itachi as she was.

She lay on the grass staring up at the sky that was now filled with dark, charged clouds that brought a storm.  **"Very convenient to match how we felt."**  Inner muttered and Sakura closed the eyes tightly to hold back the tears.

She wondered what it would have been like if Sasuke had gone looking for Orochimaru that night if she had not been able to stop him. Itachi would have blamed himself for throwing his younger brother in the clutches of that despicable man or would have been happy for Itachi to fulfill his goals.  **"He may still want to die, you know?"**

Sakura nodded knowing that Inner only vocalized what she did not dare to do, but that thought was eroding her in the last minutes. If Itachi still intended to die at Sasuke's hands and he was only allowing her to heal him to satisfy her.  **"He doesn't intend to come back with us to Konoha."**

"No, he doesn't." Sakura nodded and placed her right arm over the eyes as the first drop of rain fell on the forehead.

**"So... If he doesn't want to turn with us, the odds his plans haven't changed are big."**  Inner said with concern.

"I don't want to hear that." Sakura murmured and thanked for the silence. All she needed now was silence. She did not want to think about Itachi's death whether for the disease or Sasuke's hands. She did not want to think about the lack of luck in being taken from Konoha before talking with Sasuke about Itachi and about the possibility of leaving there place having to leave Itachi behind one more time.

She just wanted to be six again and lie on his chest in the old cabin in the middle of the isolated Konoha forest as he stroked her hair until she slept.

* * *

Itachi waited patiently for a few minutes and decided that it was enough for her to recompose that he left the room and walked down the hallways in search of her. He did not feel her chakra and knew she was keeping it down on purpose, a clear sign that she wanted him away, but he did not care. Knowing Sakura she would be near the flowers, it was the place that would most please her throughout the complex, so he walked to the kitchen and opened the glass door, sighing relieved that she was there. He did not want to admit it to himself, but he thought she might have left for Konoha, back to Sasuke, and that thought made his stomach hurt.

When they were children all he wanted was for her to approach Sasuke so he would have friends outside the clan. When he left Konoha he was at peace for Sakura to be around and take care of his little brother. But now the thought of her being so close to his brother to the point that she felt anger at what he'd done to Sasuke bothered him more than he'd like to admit.

He had read much about the sharingan curse on the clan scrolls. Being heir to the main family he had to read all the books and parchments forbidden or not. He tried to keep his sanity, even after all the atrocities he had to commit, but sometimes, as now, he thought he could succumb to that curse that consumed Madara and so many other Uchihas. He wondered if he would kill Sasuke if he laid his hands on Sakura and for a second he felt a black cloud fill his mind completely.

Itachi was a possessive person. He was an Uchiha after all. He decided long ago that Sakura belonged to him, she confirmed it by wearing that necklace around her neck without fear of anyone recognizing it and connecting them in any way. She also kept Kuro, if this was not an obvious demonstration that she liked to be attached to him, he did not know what it was then. Sakura was his, not Sasuke's.

He walked through the soft grass, ignoring the raindrops that fell freely on him and knelt beside her, pulling the arm away from her eyes, glad she was not crying. He hated seeing her cry and did not want to be the cause of her crying again. "Let's go inside."

She made a pout he thought was lovely and sat down, staying close to him. "You can't get wet. The condition of your lungs can worsen." Itachi smiled before he could stop himself. She was worried about him, it was a good sign. He lifted her and pulled her by the hand, walking with her toward the building. The two walked in silence to the bedroom and Itachi thought that situation was uncomfortable.

"I never wanted to hurt Sasuke like that." He said as he walked to the dresser and took clean clothes for himself and her. He thought of giving her the ANBU uniform she wore when she was caught, since it was washed and folded inside the drawer, but there was something about her wearing his clothes that he did not want to give up.

Sakura had taken full advantage of the minutes of silence she had, the rain slowly falling on her helped to clear up the dark thoughts that were clouding her judgment. "You were only thirteen."

Itachi turned and looked at her with relief. The last thing he wanted was for Sakura to hate him. He thought she hated him for a long time, he had already made that mistake with Sasuke and feared it was too late to correct. He nodded with a small smile and handed her a clean shirt and shorts.

"Just tell me you've changed your mind about letting him kill you." She asked with her eyes full of anticipation as she held her clean clothes in one hand and squeezed his hand with the other.

Itachi never lied to her before and would not start now. "I'll not let him kill me, Sakura." He took her hand away from her grip and removed the wet fringe that had attached to her face. "I promise."

Sakura sighed relieved and smiled at him, because she knew that Itachi did not use to make promises. "Sorry for losing my head." She bit the lip and Itachi's eyes were drawn to it.

"I've made a lot of mistakes and you're still here." He said knowing she would understand what he meant.

He handed her a towel and took another, using it to dry. Sakura dried the hair and turned her back to him without bothering to get into the bathroom, she always changed the clothes in front of her jounin and ANBU teams. She knew that Itachi would be a gentleman and would look away. When she took off the long, wet shirt, she remembered belatedly that she had not had underwear or bra since arriving there and felt the cheeks warm with the memory of him invaded the bathroom that morning.  **"And he didn't look away."**  Inner teased and Sakura felt very conscious suddenly.

Itachi looked at the delicious curve of her back and felt an almost uncontrollable urge to touch her. In his defense he was able to control the sharingan, preventing it from activating.

Sakura dried her body as fast as she could and wore the long shirt, grateful to cover the important parts. She took off the wet shorts and dried himself trying not to make the shirt go up, she put on the dry shorts and turned to face Itachi who was in exactly the same place, in the same position with his eyes fixed on her. Sakura did not know if she felt embarrassed or flattered to have the man she loved and admired trying to spy, not that he needed since he had a complete look before. "You peeked." She said irritated with narrowed eyes.

"I just saw your back." He said nonchalantly. "This time." He said with a crooked smile.

**"Get in the game."**  Inner shouted. "No way." Sakura said indignantly.

Itachi knew she was not yelling at him and he tilted the head in question, wanting to really know what her second personality was saying at the time.

"She wants a glimpse." Sakura pointed to his body from top to bottom, trying not to sound shy.

Itachi raised an amused eyebrow. If his object of desire was wanting a glimpse of his body, who was he to deny such a request. He took off the elastic that held the hair slowly, letting the long strands fall on his back, admiring the green eyes that followed his every move. He wiped the hair with the towel and tossed it on the bed next to Sakura when it was over. He took off the shirt slowly knowing that her eyes would be trapped in his abdomen, he'd seen her staring at him in the bathroom.

Sakura was breathing heavily and she thought she was still sleeping and all that strange day and full of unusual situations was just a crazy dream created by her inner. She felt the lips dry while inner was having a nosebleed.

Itachi smiled as he grabbed the towel to dry his wet chest because of the rain and was surprised when Sakura took the towel from his hands and stood. "As your doctor, I need to make sure the condition of your lungs doesn't get worse." She said in the usual doctor's voice and stood behind him pushing away the hair, running the fingers through the curves on his back without guilt. If he was willing to give her a show, she would enjoy it.

Itachi closed the eyes and squeezed the shirt tightly as he felt Sakura's fingers trailing the muscles of his back and he almost moaned at the sensation. He let out a sigh of relief as she smoothed the soft towel over his skin, for a second he thought he could no longer control himself if she continued with that torture.

Sakura stepped in front of him and wiped the towel over his chest, wiping the dripping drops of water. She ran her fingers through the muscles of his abdomen and felt Itachi's hand grasping her wrist. "You don't swing a steak before a hungry man if you don't intend to feed him." He said in a husky and almost breathless voice and Sakura realized the reaction that all that provocation was having on him.

She looked up and met his eyes, everything she saw in those black eyes was hungry and wish, at that instant she realized that Itachi returned the feelings she had for him. Relief and happiness flooded into her being, and Inner composed herself realizing that moment was important.

"Tachi." She whispered and took a step forward so that they were even closer.

"You're mine, Sakura." Itachi kept the grip on her wrist and with his other hand he pinned the fingers to the back of her neck, entwining the long hair, bringing her face up and closer to his. He waited for her to back off because he would not be able to stop.

Sakura let the towel fall to the floor and with her free hand she cupped his face and closed the distance between them, sealing their lips together.

Itachi released her wrist and wrapped the arm around her waist, bringing her closer. He dreamed about that moment for a long time and all he wanted was for it to last forever. All the loneliness and pain disappeared along with that annoying black cloud that was threatening to consume his mind, as if it had been sucked in by her lips leaving only a delicious numbness in place. He deepened the kiss by squeezing her lips without bothering to be rude, she was one of the strongest kunoichi alive. Sakura opened the lips and he took it as permission to dip his tongue into her mouth and in that second he got lost in the feel and taste of her. Sakura moaned on his lips and they extended the kiss until they were both breathless to continue.

When they parted he saw more than the usual admiration that was always present in her eyes, he saw something else there, something he did not remember and could not identify.

"I'm yours, Itachi." She said in a low voice and he understood that feeling reflected in those green eyes, was  _love_.

* * *


	17. Plans that went wrong

Itachi wrapped the arms around her back, hugging her and resting the forehead against hers. He closed the eyes and let out a sigh that to Sakura sounded like he was desperate. "I can't let you go now." He said with obvious desperation tied in every word.

Sakura felt the eyes burn with tears that she refused to fall. She wondered why things could not be easy for them at least once and if someday they could get together.  **"Maybe in another life."**  Inner said with disappointment and sadness.

Itachi opened the eyes and they immediately fell on her lips that were swollen and red. He took her lower lip in his and sucked, making Sakura sigh in surprise and pleasure, making him satisfied with the reaction. "I want you."

"I'm yours." She said without thinking.

"I want you by my side." He said knowing that she would understand that he was saying the impossible but that he wanted her to know how he felt about her and that was as close as she would get to a declaration of love. They both knew that it would all be over when she left. They were putting off the inevitable and no matter how much they admitted their feelings with that kiss, their fate had already been sealed years ago when Itachi chose to save the village instead of himself.

"Leave the future for later, we're here now, just you and me." Sakura said desperately and wrapped the arms around his neck to make sure he would not disappear if she let go.

"Just you and me." He whispered to her lips. Using surprising speed, he laid Sakura on the bed and lay down beside her, so that half of his body was halfway up her body, his right leg was between her legs and he stroked her face tenderly. He activated the sharingan to record the image of her face, she never looked as pretty as at that moment in his eyes.

Sakura got lost in the black swirl wrapped in red that hypnotized her and Itachi thought she was the only person who looked him in the eyes like that. No one would dare look at him when he kept sharingan on, and that only confirmed how much she trusted him. "Foolish little girl." He whispered before plunging his lips into hers, grabbing her for yet another kiss.

Sakura knew that every time he called her a fool, it was when he knew she did not care to belong to him. She knew a very things about the Uchihas, the curse preceded the sharingan, and from an early age she learned how much Itachi and Sasuke could be possessive of everything they considered theirs. But still she allowed herself to belong to him and plunged into the abyss that was forming beneath her with that intense kiss. She ran the fingers through his hair, admiring the softness and the delicious scent of cinnamon emanating from him. Feeling his body over hers in that way only made her feel more desirable every second she was wrapped in his strong arms.

They got lost in kisses and caresses for hours, but they seemed minutes to them, compared to the time they spent separated from each other.

After another intense kiss, Sakura regained the breath to speak. "Where did you learn this?" She asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Itachi smiled and she thought he knew exactly what was on her mind, Sakura wondered if he and Inner had done some kind of crazy deal in which he would go into her mind when she wanted to and would research every thought. "I'm one of the best shinobi among the five nations, a kiss isn't something as difficult as a forbidden jutsu."

Sakura was not pleased with the answer, but decided not to press. "It was my first." She said shyly and he smiled with satisfaction. He thought about saying that her first kiss had been with him years ago, but he'd better keep that secret to himself.

He looked into her eyes, conveying timidity and anticipation, and decided to satisfy her. "It was my first too." He giggled, barely emitting a sound as her smile took over almost the all face.

After a few minutes looking at each other without much to say, Sakura decided to break the silence and get out of the warmth of his arms. She sighed with satisfaction at the time they spent together, but she knew that all they did not have was time. "Tachi, I need to finish the healing." She watched as he sighed in dissatisfaction at having to stop hugging and kissing her. "Use something, it's cold in here." She handed him the shirt that was forgotten at the foot of the bed.

Itachi put on the warm shirt and lay down on the bed as she poured out that healing chakra he did not know if he liked it because was saving his life or hating it, because of the pain that caused.

"Everything will be fine." Sakura said as much to herself as to him.

* * *

Sakura prepared the dinner while Itachi slept in bed after a healing session that was much more intense than the previous one, making him lose consciousness once she was done. She was lost for a few minutes watching the raindrops fall into the glass door that separated the kitchen from the training camp, as Itachi had called, but to Sakura it looked like another well maintained backyard surrounded by flowers and tall trees.

Suddenly she felt a familiar presence and opened the door to one of the cabinets, taking the first cloth she found. She received Kuro who flew into the kitchen, straight into her arms. Closing the door, he sat down in a chair and wiped his wet black feathers. "Where have you been all this time?" Sakura asked and narrowed the eyes at the way he looked away from her.

"You were at Mom's, weren't you?" Sakura asked knowing that the answer was positive when he kept the eyes away from hers. He always escaped to her parents's house when he had a chance and Sakura knew it was because Mebuki fed him and he liked it. "What if I needed you, huh?" She asked seriously and received a grunt in response, which meant that if she needed him, she should call him as usual. "You're so abused, Kuro." She scolded him when she finished cleaning him and refused to feed him, knowing he was more than satisfied if he came from her mother's house.

She sighed and placed him on the table. "Tachi was dying." She whispered and saw the way he looked at her, which he already knew. She suspected he might have smelled blood after some coughing crisis Itachi might have had in front of the bird. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have reached him sooner." She said irritably, but did not want to blame the bird, since Itachi was responsible for his own choices.

Instead of the answer she expected, Kuro growled warning her that someone was around. She jumped abruptly from the chair and asked him to stay hidden somewhere, even if he was caught at that base, they would have identified him as a summoning of Itachi and would leave him alone. With a grunt he flew into the hallway and disappeared into the darkness.

Sakura extinguished the candles in the kitchen, closing the curtain that covered the glass door and ran toward the bedroom, happy that Itachi was standing, he sure had some active jutsu that alerted him whenever someone was approaching from that base. She watched as he took a handcuff from the drawer beside the bed and smiled at her.

Sakura narrowed the eyes, but sat on the bed, resting her back to the headboard. "Something tells me you have some perverse pleasure in it." She mumbled as Itachi tied her hand on one of the bars of the bed. The only answer she had was his smile widening. **"Maybe he likes that sort of thing. We could try it."**  Inner decided to contribute in the worst moment possible and Sakura almost shouted to herself to shut up.

"Is Kisame, but he's not alone. I'll be back soon." He kissed her lightly on the lips and lit a few more candles, leaving the room brighter. Sakura realized he was tired and tried to look normal, but those healing sessions take the energy of him.

* * *

Itachi walked to the main entrance and narrowed the eyes when he saw Kisame accompanied by Tobi and Deidara. "Itachi-sama." Tobi's voice echoed through the stone room making Deidara wrinkle the nose in disgust.

"What's the point of this?" Itachi asked trying to keep the tone if voice neutral, but something told him that he would not like the answer.

Kisame let out an obviously frustrated sigh. "Leader-sama sent us on a mission, you and me." He looked at Itachi expecting some reaction and was amazed to see that his features remained unchanged. "They'll take care of the prisoner." If Kisame had the perception that Sakura had about Itachi, he would have seen the small contraction in his left eye after that statement.

"Where's your little brother's girlfriend?" Tobi said genuinely curious and Itachi wondered if he expected to see Sakura hanging on some stake in that room.

Itachi felt the jaw tightening at that annoying sentence, he did the best to keep all the emotions he was feeling buried as deep as he could. The thought of leaving Sakura alone with those two for Kami knows how long it made his stomach sink.

"It doesn't matter where she is." Deidara said angrily and Itachi realized that he did not want to be there, babysitting a prisoner in which he was not allowed to lay hands. "Leader-sama said we can't torture her, yet... and I'm not cooking for anyone."

Kisame raised the eyebrows and for the first time, he missed Sasori to keep the annoying blonde in line. "Tobi cooks." He stated not wanting to have a migraine because of the discussion of those two and almost laughed when Tobi squealed in protest.

Itachi ignored them all and used that time to think of a decent strategy that would take Sakura out of that situation. She had been there for almost four days and the time the leader had stipulated was ending, he would have to finish this mission before the plan to capture Uzumaki was put in action. Without a word, he headed down the hallway, knowing the others would follow. He pointed to two rooms next to his. "You occupy those."

Deidara nodded and opened the door of one of the bedrooms. "It's bigger than my room at the base in Ame, maybe I'll move." He sneered and entered the room slamming the door behind him.

"He's in a bad mood about having to stay here with the pretty kunoichi and insists it's Tobi's fault." Tobi said scratching the back of the neck.

"It's your fault." Kisame spat in indignation.

Itachi opened the door to his room and Sakura tilted the head in confusion when she saw Itachi and Kisame, accompanied by the masked guy that captured her. She chose to keep the mouth shut, after all, prisoners do not ask questions.

"She stays in my room." Itachi activated the sharingan and looked at Tobi hoping that his words were clear. "Feed three times a day and keep the chakra suppressor." When Tobi nodded, he turned to Kisame. "Mission."

Kisame took a parchment from inside the cape. "Eliminate a man responsible for a criminal organization that is in the path of Akatsuki. Three Days. Amekagure. Details inside." He handed the parchment to Itachi who did not even look at the contents.

Itachi looked at Sakura knowing that she understood the reason for Tobi's apparition. "We'll do it in one day." He stated to Kisame, but she kow that was to reassure her. He took the cape that was resting on a chair near the door and with one last glance to Sakura, he left without another word. He thanked for Ame being close to where they were, taking only a few hours of travel with the speed he and Kisame could reach.

Kisame jumped the thick branches of tall trees toward Ame, and looked at Itachi out of the corner of his eye. "She's not safe now."

"I know." Itachi grunted, evidently frustrated, and accelerated even more. As the base grew increasingly distant with each step, he cursed the man he had to kill on this mission, cursed Tobi's incompetence that brought Sakura that night and cursed the time he missed on a mission when he could be with her in the arms.

He should leave alone while Kisame was left behind, and in a few days Sakura would be safe at home in Konoha and he could breathe in relief, but everything he had planned failed and he felt the frustration burning from the inside out. He stopped in a tree, leaning the back in a trunk, almost out of breath, and completely forgot that the healing session had sucked his energy and burned too much chakra.

Kisame stopped a few branches ahead, looking over his shoulder, and Itachi forced himself to continue, forgetting the sharp pain in his lungs and chest. Sakura needed him to come back soon and he would be damned if he did not do just that.

* * *

Tobi closed the bedroom door and walked to the bed, dragging a chair with him. "If you promise not to attack me I can let go off your hands." He offered knowing that she was helpless with that chakra suppressor around the neck and that no blow she'd hit would hit him. When Sakura nodded, he smiled under the mask and released her hands, discarding the handcuff on the nightstand beside the bed. "Tobi shouldn't have brought the little kunoichi with him." He apologized and ran his gloved fingers through the pink wicks of the girl sitting on the bed.

Sakura kept the hands in her lap and did not dare move a single muscle in front of the man, probably mentally unstable, before her.

He tilted the head and she thought he looked like a kid costumed for Halloween. "After we get the Jinchuuriki, Tobi promises to be quick to kill the little kunoichi." Sakura ran the tongue to wet her lips, which now looked very dry and swallowed a lump that formed in the throat.

"Naruto." She said angrily.

"Hã?" Tobi asked, bowing the head once more and Sakura cursed that mask that would not allow her to see his expressions.

"His name is Naruto, not Jinchuuriki." She said hoarsely.

"Oh." Tobi laughed lightly and for a moment Sakura heard a change in his tone of voice, making her realize that this whole personality was just an act and she would love to see him let all his masks fall.

"You'll never catch him." She said with conviction and still did not move a muscle.

"No, you're going to bring him to me." He said in an eerily low voice and Sakura smiled, getting exactly what she wanted.

This time she tilted her head the way he had before and leaning toward him, she whispered close to his face. "I prefer that voice." She saw the way his throat fluttered as he swallowed, beneath the high collar of the black T-shirt. "You don't have to keep the act with me if you intends to kill me." And then she stared into the hole in the orange mask and saw the only black eye she had only seen in two people before, if disregarded the brief encounter with some Uchihas. "Madara?" She whispered as she connected all the stitches together, Itachi's question, the way this man before her acted and how he knocked her down using a powerful genjutsu that could only have come from a sharingan the day he captured her.

He threw back the head, laughing. "Maybe I'll not kill you, after all." He said amused in a hoarse voice that could only belong to an Uchiha. He rose from the chair and put one knee on the bed, bending over her in an intimidating attempt, which Sakura knew very well and did not seem affected. "If you're a good girl, I can get you to myself." He whispered darkly in her ear and Sakura used every control she had to keep her still, when all she wanted was to push him away and run toward Itachi.

He kept the eye on her and stroked her hair once more before getting out of bed. "You're too smart for your own good." He said in the same pretended voice as before. "Tobi will prepare your food, beautiful kunoichi." He said as he walked toward the door. Turning one last time. "I'll like to rip the information about the  _Jinchuuriki_  from you." With that statement he turned toward the hall, the black cape swinging behind him as he left the room without looking back.

Sakura let out the air she did not even notice she was holding and placed the hands over her face.  **"We're going to die here."**  Inner groaned and Sakura refused to agree. She would not die there, not before Itachi came back to her.

* * *

Tobi entered the kitchen, breathing heavily. He leaned back against the counter as he tried to regain the composure. In all these years pretending to be Madara to some and Tobi to others he never lost control over the disguise. In fact he had been doing this for so long that he no longer knew who he was. When he needed to be Tobi he was Tobi, when he needed to be Madara, he was Madara, until the real one was brought back anyway. But for the first time in years he found himself acting like Obito, and this was inadmissible because Obito died years ago crushed by a stone and was buried in the remnants of his mind when he watched Rin die before his eyes.

He blamed that colored-haired girl who reminded him of Rin, with those bright eyes and annoying smile, she reminded him of Kakashi with that humor and audacity. She was a bizarre mix of the two companions he left behind and this made him lose control. He would kill that girl when he had the chance, preferably in front of the Jinchuriki she seemed to protect so fiercely.

Recovering the breath, he straightened his back and walked to the stove to prepare something for the girl to eat, surprised to find plenty of food already prepared, but Itachi was a prodigy, so it was no wonder he could cook well. Obito sometimes wanted to be like Itachi, maybe if he was as talented as his Uchiha partner when he was young, things would have been different.

Shaking the head to get rid of these morbid and annoying thoughts, he switched on the stove flame to warm the soup in a pan and cursed that kunoichi with strange hair and green eyes to make him lose control of his mind. He was going to kill her, but not before he saw that arrogance, so much like Kakashi's, being pulled from her.


	18. Stronger then I look

Tsunade looked at the two shinobis in front of her and waited for Kakashi to finish reading the parchment. After a few seconds he lowered the parchment and leaned back in the chair beside Yamato, running the hands through his silver hair.

"You weren't aware of that." Tsunade stated that he was as surprised as she was when she discovered the truth behind the clan's massacre.

Kakashi shook the head in denial. "I don't."

Tsunade waved the hand in a gesture that told him to elaborate. With a weary sigh he stared at the window behind her for a few seconds as if he'd been lost in another time. "At night, near dawn, we received the order to contain the Uchiha clan, before an uprising, all the ANBU was already prepared for this." He sighed again. "When we arrived, there was only blood and dead people."

"You worked with him." Tsunade stated.

Kakashi knew who she was referring to. "He was the best agent I ever worked with." With that affirmation Yamato cleared the throat. "Before Tenzou." Kakashi added. "He was agile, loyal to the will of the fire and trustworthy as a partner, his abilities were admirable."

"Agile enough to murder hundreds of people in a single night, alone?" Tsunade asked. She always had doubts about a single shinobi, at only thirteen, being able to murder an entire clan, but when Kakashi nodded she wondered how dangerous this man was and how much Sakura could protect herself.

"I always thought there was more behind the story about the massacre. This parchment was very enlightening." Kakashi added.

Tsunade agreed. She stared at the two of them for a few seconds. "I only ask this one time." She said in a menacing tone that would make Orochimaru shudder. "What's the relationship between Sakura and him?"

"I don't know." Yamato stated truthfully and Tsunade could not tell if it was really true because every ANBU special agent was trained to be convincing, but she decided to think he would not dare lie to his Hokage.

"Hatake." She insisted after a few minutes of silence.

Kakashi ran the hands through the hair again. "Sakura is an peculiar girl..." He rambled.

"I know that, she's my apprentice." Tsunade stated with less patience. "She's like a daughter to me, Hatake. I want to know why she never told me about any of this before."

Kakashi realized that Tsunade looked almost frustrated and was struggling not to demonstrate. "Sakura never told me anything." He decided to buy time, since he did not know how that information would affect Sakura's future.

"I'll rephrase my question." She narrowed the eyes. "What you found out about the relationship of Sakura and Uchiha Itachi."

Kakashi knew he had lost that battle. "They met each other long before the massacre and apparently Sakura was trained by him." He looked at Tsunade trying to interpret her features but she was good at hiding. "Sakura always believed him."

Tsunade nodded. She knew Sakura's stubbornness, which rivaled hers. If her relationship with that man was as deep as it looked after what Kakashi mentioned, she knew Sakura would not rest until she had him safe and free in Konoha again.

"If it comes to the knowledge of the Council that I have possession of this information, all Uchiha Itachi's sacrifice to contain a civil war within the Fire country will have been in vain." She said seriously. "Hatake, I need you to gather and lead all my ANBU agents." Turning to Yamato. "How much can you trust that brat, Sai?"

* * *

Itachi looked up at the sky and felt the heart sink with the raindrops falling on him. It had been two days and a half since he left, leaving Sakura alone with two Akatsuki members. He increased the amount of chakra in his feet and jumped as fast as he could through the branches, ignoring the heavy rain against his skin and the fierce wind that tried to delay him further.

"Do you think the leader gave orders to extraction of information?" Kisame's deep voice echoed through the forest, breaking through the wind and cutting Itachi like a knife. That was the question that was eroding him in the last hours, but he refused to vocalize.

"She is strong." It was all he could say to reassure himself.

Kisame nodded and decided not to push. Both knew that the deadline stipulated by the leader was ending and it was very likely that he decided to extract information from her, on how to attract the jinchuuriki. He never had anyone he really cared about, from an early age he was taught to follow orders and not get attached to anyone, so he did not know how Itachi was feeling with the possibility of having a precious person, hurt. He decided not to say anything more.

* * *

Sakura knew this was coming, Itachi and the supposed Madara, warned her. When Deidara came into the room looking at her with a crooked smile, she braced herself for what was to come. Itachi had said that the leader stipulated seven days until using her as bait to attract Naruto. If she had been right, it had been five days or more, maybe a few hours less, but she was sure it was the only source of knowledge about Naruto that was at their fingertips now.

"It will be a waste..." Deidara lamented. "But you killed Sasori no danna, so I'll not feel guilty. Take that as retribution." He blinked at her with those blue eyes that reminded her of Naruto and she felt a pang in the chest as she remembered the house and the friends she left behind.

A loud noise sounded in the hallway and Sakura wished with all her heart that it was Itachi. She was not foreign to torture, after all it was one of the requirements to get into ANBU, to be resistant to the most different kind of torture that Ibiki's creative mind could produce, but does not mean she likes the pain inflicted.

Tobi walked into the room, tripping over his feet and Sakura thought he was the best actor she's ever met. "Deidara-senpai. Leader-sama has appointed you on a mission." He shouted walking towards them and sitting on the bed next to Sakura as if they were old friends.

Deidara narrowed the eyes and uttered a curse.

"Deidara-senpai... That's no way to talk in front of a lady." Tobi scolded in a condescending tone.

"Go to hell." Deidara screamed with obvious irritation and left, slamming the door behind him.

Sakura sat, when Deidara's chakra disappeared from the complex and if she was alone she would have sighed with relief. Then she lifted the head and looked at the man beside her, all the previous relief disappearing giving way to an unpleasant weight that settled in the stomach.

"Deidara-senpai go on a mission, but the leader's orders about you haven't changed, Sakura-chan." Tobi sang in an annoying voice and Sakura wished she had not given in and said her name to him last night. He had brought the dinner and asked her name insistently, a thousand times with that annoying voice, in that stupid act, speaking in third person and almost took her to madness until she gave in and said her name was Sakura, which earned her more a few hours of comparison of her beauty with diverse flowers. She wanted to kill this man if she had the chance.

"What do you have to me?" She asked hoarsely for lack of use.

"Oh..." Tobi approached her even more. "Tobi will take you on a trip." He said in a deep voice, making her shudder unconsciously at the memory that this man was an Uchiha, probably powerful and mentally unstable.

* * *

She was not sure where she was or how long she had gone, but the throbbing headache and the burning behind the eyes reminded her that she was still alive. The only sound she could hear was the annoying drip on the stone floor and the own panting. Her fists ached where the thick, tight handcuffs more than needed rubbed at the sensitive skin as held the full weight of her body, wishing she was a little tall so the feet could touch the ground and bring some relief.

She tried to think a little even with the head aching annoyingly and she remembered the fight that had with the captor on the way between the old building and this dark room where she was now. If she closed the eyes tightly she could still feel the raw fury coming from the opponent when she managed to strike a precise blow to his face, she did not care what came next, the fact that she hit him and what she discovered afterwards, was satisfactory enough.

She heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside the door and raised the head with difficulty to face the visitor and cursed that annoying mask for the thousandth time in Kami knows how many days, she realized that this time the mask did not have the spirals oranges as the previous one, and concluded that this new mask made him seem more intimidating, even if the darkness of the room prevented her from distinguishing the color of the mask that covered his features. She swallowed and breathed heavily, realizing that she had been hit hard on the back and sure enough she had bruised, but she refused to heal and make him suspect she could pull herself off those handcuffs easily. He would kill her immediately.

"Where is that arrogance, now?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

She knew it was a rhetorical question but the tongue itched to give an answer and she allowed herself. Grinning maliciously and not looking away from the only hole the mask had she felt brave and even though these could be her last words, she would appreciate it, because Haruno Sakura would not bow her head to an enemy. "Why don't you come and find out."

She felt a small pang of regret as he approached her with a frighteningly abnormal speed and his face was inches from hers. She felt the gloved hand caress her face almost tenderly and once again wondered why he was holding himself so much in hurting her physically. She closed the eyes tightly, refusing to face that sharingan again, but she knew it was useless. She felt his hand sliding slowly from her face to the nape and refused to make any sound as he pulled her hair hard enough to pull out many strands.

"Why do you make me do this to you?" She heard him whisper in her ear before forcing her to open the eyes and Sakura could swear that his voice was tied with guilt, but it did not stop him from throwing her in that damn jutsu again.

* * *

Kisame landed on the wet grass below where Itachi was. "I'm going to report to the leader about the mission." He took a deep breath, trying not to look breathless and when he received a nod from Itachi, he headed off in the opposite direction of the Uchiha compound, toward the Akatsuki base where he knew the leader would be.

Itachi did not wait for Kisame to leave before continuing as fast as he could toward the compound. He did not mind the unnecessary expense of chakra to increase the speed in his legs. The only thing he wanted was to get to Sakura and get her out of there. He decided during the trip that he would not use any excuses, he would simply take her back to Konoha and think of something when he returned.

He landed on the green lawn outside the compound and focused on Sakura's chakra, feeling a chill run down the spine when he did not feel her chakra coming from anywhere in the building. He heard a rustle of wings and looked up at the sky grateful that Kuro had appeared at that moment before he lost his mind altogether. The crow landed on the arm he held out to him and led the way to one of the underground basements outside the building, beyond the training ground in a passageway on the ground amidst the tall trees. Itachi felt a sharp pain in the chest as he descended the steps to the underground shed that was used by the Uchihas to keep prisoners.

He masked the chakra and realized that there was no one else around, but it did not diminish the weight on his shoulders that he had come too late to save Sakura from whatever they had prepared for her since the day she was taken to the Akatsuki lair.

* * *

Sakura heard footsteps coming from the hallway and opened the eyes with difficulty when a weak beam of light, which was probably provided by a torch lit in the hallway, entered the dark room. She thanked him for the wind that came through the door. During the time in that room, she thought she would suffocate with the smell of mold that emanated from every inch of the stone walls, the muffled heat mixed with moisture was an annoying combination.

She did not feel any chakra coming from the invader for the first time but knew exactly who was and prepared herself physically and mentally for another series of 'time together', as him liked to call. She looked up expecting to see the usual mask and gasped when she saw Itachi's dark eyes staring at her. Relief flooded her like an unbridled rapture as she heard his footsteps toward her and wondered if it was real or just an illusion projected by her weary mind. When the weight of Kuro landing on her feet sank, she realized that it was not an illusion and sighed relieved.

Itachi stood before her without uttering a single sound or expressing any reaction and at that moment she wished had the ability of Ino to know what was going on in his mind to see her in that state. She cursed herself for being so weak and stupid and allowed herself to be in that situation bringing unnecessary anguish to him.

He looked at her for a few minutes that seemed like forever. "You can let go of yourself." He stated and Sakura pulled the wrists a little hard because of the wounds, but she managed to break the chakra suppressor handcuff that held her hands above the head and at the same moment she felt Itachi's arms holding her weight before she collapsed completely on the floor.

She felt a tightness in the chest as he held her tighter than she could stand at that moment and felt relief and guilt that left a bittersweet taste in her mouth as he buried the face in her neck. She did not know what he was feeling, but if it was guilt she wanted him to stop. She had never seen Itachi so vulnerable before and did not want to see him like that again.

"Tachi... it hurts." She murmured when she could not stand the grip he had on her anymore.

Itachi released her but kept one arm around the waist to keep her standing. He activated the sharingan to look at the damage done to her through the thick darkness of that small room and felt his jaw clench because of the anger that gripped him. "Can you heal yourself?"

She sighed. "He drained my chakra with the tsukuyomi." She said without emotion and a hoarse voice.

Itachi knew who Sakura was talking about and told himself that when he put the hands on that man, there would be even fewer living Uchihas walking on Earth. He was not surprised to discover that the man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara had the ability to use the tsukuyomi and lamented that Sakura had been his target.

He bent and placed his right arm under her knees, lifting her off the floor and feeling a sense of relief and satisfaction when she leaned the head against his chest. With a movement of his hand, he sent Kuro back to his world and walked toward the exit, wanting to get her out of that horrible place as fast as possible. He would drop that place as soon as he returned.

When they left the underground, he squeezed Sakura even more wanting to keep her safe. He walked toward a tree and placed her sitting on the grass with her back to the trunk. Staring, he could see more clearly the damage she had suffered from the obvious torture when moonlight illuminated her pale skin.

"When?" He needed to know how long she'd been subjected to torture and interrogation, cursing himself for taking two days to complete a simple murder mission, because information about the target on the parchment was not specific enough. He blamed himself once more for having left her behind. He blamed himself for not taking her to home in the moment he pulled her out of that pantry. Her selfish desires to have her around put her in the situation she was.

"I don't know." She whispered in a low voice and kept the eyes closed.

Itachi sighed with resignation realizing how stunned and lost she was. "I come back." He warned her before getting up and walking through the wet grass and disappearing into the darkness of the tall trees that surrounded the place.

A few minutes later he came back and took Sakura in his arms again, she opened the eyes when she felt he had jumped on a branch of a tree. Looking around she noticed that he was heading in the opposite direction from where she thought the building was. "Where are we going?" She asked in a hoarse voice, feeling the throat itch she realized for the first time what might have been days, how thirsty and worn she was.

"Home." It was the only thing he said before disappearing through the trees in the dark of night.

* * *


	19. Show me your love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the last of the first part of this story.

Itachi ran through the dark night with Sakura in his arms, jumping between the thick branches of the leafy trees toward Konoha, arriving at the village he once called home in a few hours because of the speed he was using to make sure he would not be followed. He stopped a few times in the middle of the way so Sakura could drink and eat while he bandaged the wounds that adorned her skin. Neither of them said a word during the whole trip.

Sakura was grateful for the silence, she knew that Itachi wanted all the details of what happened to her in the last few days since he left, but she also knew that he would wait until she was recovered before she began to question. She wanted to reassure him that it was not the worst torture she had ever suffered, but she knew he would realize her lie. She admitted to herself that physically had not been the worst torture, but mentally it was another story.

When they approached the gates of Konoha, Itachi walked without hesitation and Sakura wondered how he intended to enter the village without being struck by the protection jutsu or the guards once he stepped inside. Itachi looked at her still resting in his arms and as if he could read her like a book. "I'll cover us with a genjutsu."

Sakura nodded, not bothering to question how he would go through the protection jutsu for not wanting to offend his intelligence. "We can't go to my apartment, Kakashi certainly put a jutsu that will warn him if someone comes." She wondered where else they could hide until dawn.

Itachi paused for a moment and smiled at her for the first time since he'd rescued her from the torture room. "I know a place." He entered the village and walked across the rooftops toward the isolated Konoha forest without any ninja or civilian noticing them.

* * *

_Tell me how you choose. Can you feel why you're in this_  
_Can you feel it through. All of the windows inside this room_

* * *

Itachi landed among the trees in the secluded forest that Sakura and he knew better than anyone else. He placed Sakura on the feet and they walked through the damp grass, side by side towards the old cabin that was hidden among the tall and broad trees. "No one will find us here." Itachi said with certainty why no one had ever met them before. He opened the curtain of leaves and with a smile gestured for her to come into their place.

He looked around as he closed the sheet curtain behind him, glad that the cabin was big enough for them and everything was surprisingly clean, he picked the candles that were scattered across the floor and lit them with a simple jutsu, lighting up the cabin that was completely immersed in the darkness and he knew that Sakura did not have the advantage of sharingan to see in the dark, like him.

Sakura looked at him as she sat down on the old red futon, knowing exactly what was in his mind she clarified. "I back to cleaned after you sent me the necklace... When I sent you that letter." She said as she played with the necklace that was on her neck. "The last time I cleaned it was before leaving on the mission that led to us meeting again."

Itachi nodded and pulled the black cape with red clouds, folding and placing it in a corner, next to the futon. Taking two steps forward he reached her easily and sat down next to her on the futon. After a few minutes of disturbing silence, Sakura felt as if she could suffocate in that small space, which seemed so large when they were children. "It's just like old times." She said in a voice that sounded like a whisper and bit the lip nervously.

Itachi looked at her, feeling a lump forming in his throat, as it happened every time he looked at the wounds that covered her as he carried her back to Konoha. He looked at her hands that were twitching in the lap and realized she was more nervous than she wanted to look. He pulled away the fringe that was covering her eyes and lifted the chin with his thumb so she could face him properly. "Just tell me what's bothering you." He asked gently.

Sakura looked at him for a few seconds and sighed. "You came back home."

Itachi blinked a few times, processing what she really meant by that. "I couldn't leave you there." He stated and she noticed how his jaw was closing.

"They'll know that was you who set me free anyway." Sakura stated and was surprised when he nodded. "You wanted me here, but you don't look satisfied." She insisted.

Itachi took the hand out of her hair and leaned back on the futon, supporting the weight of his body with the right hand, but did not say anything, making her even more uneasy.

"That's not how I planned it..." She murmured to herself. "...I didn't want you to be distressed."

Itachi stared at her and for the first time in years Sakura saw a confused and thoughtful expression on his face. "Are you worried about my anguish?" He asked with an almost incredulous tone.

Sakura nodded and Itachi pulled her closer in a tight hug. He wondered what he did well to deserve a woman like her, who was so kind and compassionate that she cared more about his feelings than her own suffering. "Tell me what happened." He whispered uncertain whether he was ready to listen.

She pulled away from his embrace and wrapped her arms around the knees and Itachi thought how she looked like a small child at that moment. "The next day you left, the leader apparently gave the order for information extraction. Tobi dragged me to the underground and tied me up in that dark room..."

Itachi felt the heart squeeze and a bitter taste invade his mouth at the thought of someone putting his hand on her. "He hurt you." He said with fists clenched, trying to keep track of the rage that threatened to explode.

Sakura placed her hand over his, forcing him to lessen the grip he had on his own hand. "I don't know why but he was hesitating to hurt me, physically. That's when he used the sharingan that I felt I would lose." She smiled at him. "Inner kept him away from the important information, but most of the time I got stuck for those handcuffs without water and food. I think his intention was to have me weak enough to be unconscious, so he could probe my mind without interruption."

Itachi was intrigued by this new information and for the first time he realized that the wounds on Sakura's skin were superficial, but that still did not diminish the anger he was feeling that Tobi had hurt her, actually knowing that he was hesitant in to hurt her only made Itachi feel even more annoyed, he felt a surge of jealousy invading his mind. He hated these feelings. "He'll pay for putting the hands on you."

Rising abruptly, he reached for the cape and took a parchment, making a simple hand signal, he undid the seal on the parchment that contained all the important belongings, which were not many. He gave Sakura a pill that she swallowed without questioning and then he undid the dressings that were covering a good part of her body, staring at the wounds, he realized they were almost completely healed and looked at her questioningly. In response, she pointed to the seal that adorned her forehead and Itachi made a mental note to ask more about the benefits of that seal later.

He helped her take off her sandals and got rid of her too, putting the supplies back on the parchment beside the cloak, he pulled Sakura over him so she was more comfortable. "Sakura, what did you mean by 'that's not how I planned it?' "

* * *

_Cause I wanna touch you, baby, and I wanna feel you, too_  
_I wanna see the sunrise and your sins. Just me and you_

* * *

Sakura felt the eyes widen unconsciously and regretted being as silly and careless with the words in front of a person so perceptive like Uchiha Itachi. "I spoke without thinking..." She replied in a low voice, praying that he would not realize she was hiding something.

"Sakura." He said in warning and she sat up abruptly, not wanting to look at him for fear he would know exactly what was on her mind with just one look.

He sat down beside her and took her face in his hand, forcing her to stare at him. "You planned to be caught." He stated in a neutral tone, but she knew he was only a second away losing his head and she was the cause of it.

"Tachi ... I was..." She stuttered trying to buy time to think of a satisfactory answer.

"You realized the ring was important and you picked it up on purpose." He stated and she closed the eyes tightly while Ineer cursed Itachi for being so skillful at reading situations and people that way.

"When Sasuke and I entered the cave, I realized that most Akatsuki members, including you, were just holograms. I knew it was a jutsu created by one of you, probably your leader, but I figured something connected to the creator of jutsu, I thought it would be an object capable of storing chakra." She sighed and lifted her head to look him in the eyes and for a moment she could swear she saw pride in the black eyes that stared at her with intensity that could make her disappear if he really wanted to. "When I fought with Sasori, I found the ring in one of the lost arms in the cave and I remembered that I saw the same ring in your copy that we faced before we reached the cave. At that moment, I was sure one of you would come behind the ring one way or the other. "

"You planned this." He said in the same neutral voice and Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine, she knew Itachi enough to know he was not calm inside as he seemed to be on the outside.

She chewed the lower lip to the point of drawing blood and thanked the pain for giving her the courage to face him. "I needed to see you."

Itachi looked at the wooden ceiling of the cabin. "You took advantage of this mission to find an opportunity to go after me. You planned to be captured by the most dangerous organization just to bring me back."

"You're here, are not you?" She regretted saying those words the moment he lowered his head and looked at her with the sharingan activated, in less than a second she found herself trapped on her back on the futon with Itachi above her.

"You could have died." He said in a hoarse voice covered with pure anger and she gasped instinctively.

"I'm alive." She said with little strength and did not dare to look away.

"You're so reckless." He said, still angry. "Why did you do this, Sakura?" He said with a desolate expression.

She just wanted to take that expression off his face, all she wanted was for him to understand that she wanted him in home, with her and Sasuke, because it was not fair that he should pay alone for other people's mistakes. "Because I love you." She felt his grip loosening and he sat up abruptly.

Itachi knew he probably had a stunned expression on face, but he did not care at all. He knew he loved her and knew she felt something for him back, but hearing such a blatant statement at such an inappropriate time made all his anger instantly dissipate. "I would do it all over again, a thousand times, if it would always bring you back home." Her voice broke the torpor that flooded him and without thinking he lunged at her again.

"Why?" He asked huskily, knowing exactly what the answer would be but longing desperately to hear again.

She knew what he was asking and responded with pleasure while a solitary tear ran down her face falling on the futon beneath them. "Because I love you."

* * *

_Light it up, on the run._ _Let's make love, tonight_  
_Make it up, fall in love, try_

* * *

Itachi plunged his lips into hers and lost himself in her softness. He forced her to open the mouth, using his tongue and hoping she would not realize how desperate he was. He needed to feel her as close as he could. He never felt as much need for affirmation as at that moment. He never heard those words spoken to him, not even to his own mother. He knew his mother loved him, but that was how things worked between Uchihas, words not spoken and feelings buried as deep as possible. He never thought all the unsaid words would weigh on him someday, but hearing Sakura declaring love for him so openly and so surely made something inside him break.

Sakura allowed herself to drown in that sea of lust that was pulling her deeper and ran the hands down his abdomen as she lost herself in the heat of the kiss that made her completely out of breath and she thought that even if that was the cause of her death.  _She would not stop_.

She tugged on the tie that bound his hair, making hair fall around her face, forming a curtain. She stroked the back of his neck, trailing the hair between her fingers and heard a muffled moan escape of his mouth as her nails scraped his scalp. She used the free hand to reach the back pocket of his pants.

Itachi heard the ripping cloth sound, but he refused to move away from her mouth. For the first time in his life, he did not see an attack coming from the opponent and could not care less about it. He felt the coldness of the kunai's blade touch lightly from his belly to his chest as Sakura tugged his shirt skillfully off his body and he felt something warm inside him when he heard the same sound again, but this time he knew she was cutting the own shirt.

When he heard the noise of the kunai landing on the floor beside them, he moved away from her lips, his forehead on hers, as he used a supporting hand so that his weight did not fall on her, the other hand brazenly wandered through her exposed skin. He closed the eyes tightly as he felt the muscled toned belly that only a trained kunoichi could have and lost half the control he was trying to keep with as much effort as he felt the softness of her breasts.

Sakura let out an involuntary moan and felt the cheeks burn with shame as she lost control of her own mouth like that. When she heard a possessive grunt coming from the man on top of her, she allowed herself to let the sounds escape of the throat without her being able to control.  _She gave up completely._

* * *

_But you'll never be alone_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_

* * *

The sounds she was uttering were like the best melody he'd ever heard and all he wanted was to provoke her even more until she lost the voice. He pressed his body over hers, forcing her to wrap the legs around his waist and he realized that this had been a terrible idea because he would not be willing to stop and for the first time since he was born Uchiha Itachi lost total control from himself.

Sakura felt his hand exploring every inch of her body and decided that this was the best thing he had ever done with her. She stroked his hair and back, enjoying how all parts of him felt on her fingers and she arched her back as his mouth dropped from the neck where he was kissing her eagerly, to explore the rest of her. She did not know where she was or what was going on around her when his mouth explored parts where no one had ever touched before and did not stop him when Itachi's nimble hands untied the knot that tied the pants around her waist.  _She got lost._

Itachi raised the head to look at her and thanked for the thousandth time in his life the existence of kekkei genkai that would allow him to keep this image engraved while he breathed. She was the most beautiful image he had seen in all his years of life. Her pink hair spread across the red futon, the silky skin, now completely healed from the previous wounds, glowed with a thin layer of sweat and he resisted the urge to lick, for the simple pleasure of enjoying the sight a little more. The faint light of the candles lit up her face making those green eyes shine for him and all he wanted was to show her how much he loved her.

He plunged his lips into hers again and completely lost the sanity when she whispered his name as if it were a prayer. He felt lost as her hands caressed every exposed part of his body and decided it was not enough. He moved closer to her and they were lost in the exchange of caresses and a tight hug until their bodies were impossibly close. When the last piece of clothing disappeared, Itachi allowed himself to admire her once more and he wanted her to feel everything he was willing to give.

Sakura knew he would not say, she knew he was an Uchiha and being himself a man of few words and lots of action, she knew he was showing her all the love he could offer the only way he knew.  _She accepted._

The sound of muffled whispers and moans of pleasure echoed through the dark forest as the only evidence of love they could give to each other.

* * *

_I'll hold you when things go wrong_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_  
_Baby, I'm right here_

* * *

Sakura woke up the next morning with the Akatsuki cape covering her body and a silly smile appeared on her lips. She felt the cheeks heating as she remembered the events of the last night and tried to lift from the futon but was prevented by a heavy arm around her waist. "You're not going anywhere." Itachi's husky voice whispered in her ear, making her feel a delicious shiver rise up her spine. He pulled her even closer by snuggling her back against his chest.

"Breakfast." She whispered to him, using her extraordinary strength she managed to maneuver the body under his arm so that she would face him.

Itachi smiled and felt his chest instantly warm as he looked at her. If he thought she looked beautiful last night, now she looked almost divine. Her shaggy hair, the relaxed expression and his scent on every part of her body. For a moment he thought he had died and she was just a lost angel, willing to take him to eternal rest. If that was the case, he would go without question.

"Tachi?" She whispered ashamed by the way he stared at her.

"You're so much beautiful." He said sincerely making her feel warm chest with contentment.

"You too." She said with a smile, admiring the beauty of the man before her. He looked perfect with his hair loose, spread over the cushion and his dark eyes in contrast to the black and red cape made him too handsome for the health of her sanity. The faint light of morning that infiltrate in the curtain of leaves illuminated the exposed chest making Sakura lick the lips unconsciously. When she looked up she saw a smirk on his face and wanted very hard to tear that arrogant look from his face, but knew it impossible. _She was hypnotized_.

He laid her on the back and placed himself on top of her and at that moment she knew exactly what was to come and she wanted nothing more than to allow it. If he asked the world to her at that moment,  _She would give._

"Sakura." He whispered almost desperately to her lips, before kissing her slightly and distributing kisses down her jaw to her neck, as he reached the point between the ear and neck, he sucked making her moan. "Say my name." He commanded her and she refused to satisfy him at that moment. She wanted to see how far the mighty Uchiha Itachi would go to get what he wanted from her. Sakura blamed Inner for her imprudence.

After a few seconds of silence Itachi lifted his head and saw the malicious smile that adorned her face and narrowed the eyes. "If that's how you want to play." He said in a dangerously low voice before locking her fists above the head with an impossibly strong grip. She gasped in surprise and arched the back, exposing her body to him. "Sakura..." He moaned before pressing his body over hers to make her shout his name until the sound of her voice reached the ends of that isolated forest. He would make her scream his name. She would regret defying him.


	20. Interactions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

Sakura felt the throat itchy and refused to talk with him because she would not give the satisfaction to him knowing that her voice was hoarse. She felt his eyes on her back as she washed in the crystal clear water of the river that flowed near the cabin and against all that she wanted at that moment, gave in to the temptation and looked over her shoulder, only to find Itachi's intense gaze watching every inch of her body. She smiled at him and went back to washing.

"Don't tease me." It was the only thing he said before walking to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, bringing her close.

"Don't you dare." She said when felt his lips stroking her exposed shoulder, she tried to look annoyed but could not hide the smile that was obvious in her voice.

Itachi smiled with satisfaction when he heard her hoarse voice and hoped she had not learned the lesson, he wanted her to challenge him more often, because if he was honest with himself, her boldness would ignite an uncontrollable fire inside him and he liked of sensation.

Sakura let out a satisfied sigh as he rubbed her hair. She was grateful that he had brought all his belongings on that scroll, if that included soap and shampoo. They finished the bath trying to keep their hands to themselves knowing that if they gave in to temptation, they would not leave that forest anymore.

They dried up and changed into clean clothes and Sakura was glad he was so careful to bring the clothes she wore when she was captured. She liked ANBU's uniform and knew she would arouse fury in some of her teammates if she showed up wearing the clothes of a man they thought was the enemy.

When he finished to brush her hair, she turned and faced him, both sitting on the futon inside the cabin. Sakura sighed heavily. "You can't go back to Akatsuki now, right?" She asked waiting for him to give her the answer she wanted to hear. When he nodded she smiled widely. "I need to report to Shishou everything that happened." She bit the lip nervously before saying what she wanted, afraid of his reaction. "Tachi, I left the scroll of your mission in the hands of someone I fully trust. This person handed the scroll to Shishou at this point."

Itachi looked at her without showing any emotion. "You really have planned all this for some time." He stated knowing his Sakura very well.

She sighed like a child and lay on the futon looking at the ceiling of the cabin. "I can't believe everything went well and you're here with me."

"Hn." Itachi lay down next to her staring at the ceiling too. "The tricky part has just begun, Saku-chan."

Sakura smiled at the way he called her, she loved it. "Sasuke..." She whispered and Itachi looked at her. "The night I was captured, Sasuke saw the necklace around my neck."

"He saw?" Itachi asked, stunned and genuinely curious.

Sakura looked at him as she ran her fingers over the necklace, which had already become a habit. "He knows about our relation. We've known each other since we were kids, but before I could tell him the whole truth about the massacre, Tobi showed up." She explained.

"Sasuke." Itachi murmured to himself and Sakura realized he was lost in thought. "He hates me." He said after a few minutes of silence.

Sakura sat and took his hand in hers. "It's just a relationship that you need to fix, it's going to be difficult, but I believe in you." She said firmly.

He used the free hand to caress her cheek and was baffled by the devotion and love he saw in her eyes. He knew he did not deserve this, that he did not deserve her. But he would be damned if he let someone take it from him.

* * *

Itachi used an genjutsu to keep hidden while they walked through the forest toward the city. "Tachi, how did you get into Konoha without the protection jutsu detecting you?" It had been eroding her since last night.

"I made a deal with Hiruzen-sama." He stated and did not elaborate, thinking that this statement was enough to satisfy her.

Sakura nodded and realized that not everything that had happened at that time was reported on the scrolls she found. "Who was your contact in Konoha?"

Itachi smiled this time. "Where did you find these scrolls?"

She smiled back at him. "Believe or not, the scrolls with your handwriting were in a box in the safe of the Hokage Tower."

"Hn." Itachi did not know if this was negligence or incompetence. "Who has access to the safe?"

Sakura laughed. "In theory, only the Hokage could come in, but in practice, Shizune and I are the ones who organize and file everything... But only I could recognize your handwriting, maybe if Kakashi read he could recognize too."

Itachi nodded, agreeing that Kakashi could recognize his handwriting and even without it, that man would easily find out who the author of the scrolls was if he laid eyes on them. "I was passing information about Akatsuki, Orochimaru and other dangerous organizations in exchange for information about Sasuke." He smiled at her. "As a bonus, he ended up saying a thing or two about his apprentice's handsome teammate."

"That old pervert, cheeky." She murmured to herself making Itachi laugh.

"For the past two years, he's gone way too far from Fire country, so our exchange of information has stopped." He concluded.

"Shishou knows about you being an informant?" She asked uncertainly.

Itachi shook the head in denial. He doubted the new Hokage would know anything true about him or the massacre. Which would make things interesting when he appeared next to Sakura.

* * *

Sakura jumped up the stairs, climbing two by two and was attacked by a bear hug as she stepped on the last step. "Shizune." She said amused and returned the hug.

"I need to hug you now before preparing your funeral." Shizune scoffed as she released her, but Sakura saw the look of relief on her face.

"It's bad, huh?" She asked a little fearfully.

"You have no idea. She's going to kill you." Shizune warned and walked to the table at the reception, sitting in the chair.

"You're not even going to announce me, are you?" Sakura narrowed the eyes at her.

"No way. Good luck!" Shizune replied with a sly smile. "Oh, she's got company. Maybe she'll not kill you soon... Witnesses." Shizune said with an even bigger smile.

"Good friend you are." Sakura grunted as she walked toward Tsunade's office.

Sakura knocked on the double door and receiving the confirmation entered, taking a deep breath to gain some courage. When she took two steps inside the office she was surprised to see her old chunin team inside, next to her ANBU team.

"Hey guys." She said with a smile and saw an orange flash running toward her, crushing in a hug tighter than Shizune's. "Naruto." She hugged him back, glad to see him again.

"Sakura-chan." He said a little breathlessly. "Very strong."

"Sorry." She screamed as she released him and walked to the table. She did not miss the mortal look Tsunade was giving her.

"Sakura." Tsunade used the intimidating voice and Sakura refused to take a step back. "You're in the right moment. I was arguing with Hatake and Yamato about the interesting scroll you introduced me to. I was going to include Uzumaki, Sai and the Uchiha in the operation we're working on." She got up from the chair, resting the elbows on the table and staring at her apprentice. "You brought him back, didn't you?"

Sakura blinked and tried to keep under control the anxiety and fear that were threatening to consume her. She nodded and glanced at the window behind Tsunade.

Itachi recognized Sakura's signal and with all the dexterity he possessed entered through the office window and when he took the position next to Sakura, he undid the jutsu that covered him, letting his presence be known by the occupants of the room.

"What the hell." Naruto shouted into a defensive position as Sasuke activated the sharingan and had a look of pure hatred on his face.

"Sakura." Tsunade said in command tone.

"Hai." Sakura nodded and walked to the door, using tricky hand signals to activate the protective seal. In a few seconds, luminescent lines appeared throughout the room, activating the protective seal. The lights disappeared almost instantaneously and Sakura waved to Tsunade, assuring that no one outside that room would know what was happening and there was no chance that anyone would enter or leave.

Sakura walked back to the table in front of Tsunade and positioned herself next to Itachi, standing between him and the other occupants. She looked at Sasuke trying not to show the guilt she was feeling. "Remember the conversation we didn't have that night? Let's have it now." She said seriously.

* * *

Itachi stood in the same position next to Sakura with the arms folded across the chest as Tsunade read the scroll aloud.

"This is insane." Naruto exclaimed indignantly when Tsunade finished reading.

Itachi kept the eyes on his younger brother who had an expressionless facade and kept his gaze fixed on the Hokage all the time. He had not deactivated the sharingan and the jaw was clutched with obvious frustration and Itachi knew he had not been attacked just because Sakura was among them. Once again he confirmed what he already knew, Sasuke hated him. He knew it was his own fault for everything he'd done with his brother since that night, he told Sasuke to hate him but he never thought he'd regret it someday. He had been so wrong all this time and had no idea how to fix the things, but he knew Sakura would not let him quit. He would try to do everything right this time.

"Say something I don't know." Tsunade snapped angrily and restrained herself from turning over a bottle of saké. She had been irritated at all that situation since Sakura left and sent that note that unleashed all this. "Uchiha." She sighed as the two brothers looked at her blankly and she was beginning to understand the aversion her great-uncle Tobirama had of them. "Uchiha Itachi... How many people know about this order?"

"Sandaime, the Council and Jiraya-sama." He said in a monotone voice without elaborating anything else.

"Jiraiya." She whispered to herself with clenched teeth. Tsunade narrowed the eyes with obvious irritation and out of the corner of the eye did not lose the leftover smile on Sakura's face and she knew that brat was amused by the irritation he was capable of provoking. "Oh, so you didn't tell Sakura?" She watched with satisfaction as Sakura's smile faded, giving way to an irritated scowl.

"Hn." It was his only answer.

At that moment Tsunade lost. "Don't be all monosyllabic with me, boy." She screamed angrily and Naruto and Sai stepped back instinctively, knowing she was a second away from exploding.

Itachi raised an eyebrow in response to her reaction and she could have sworn she saw a smile lift at the corner of his lips. She watched in almost horror as Sakura hit his chest without hesitation. "Don't tease her." Sakura admonished and he smiled really at that moment. "Tsunade-shishou, I only learned about it after ... er ... after personal investigations." She sighed. "Itachi didn't keep in contact with me during that time."

"Oh, you want me to believe that." She pointed between them. "Whatever happens between you, magically happened during your captivity."

"What?" Naruto shouted indignantly. "What do you mean, captivity?" He asked walking toward Sakura.

"Go ahead." Tsunade said in a quiet voice as she leaned back in the chair and Sakura knew Shizune was not exaggerating. Tsunade was obviously wanting to rip her skin off somehow.

"I was kidnapped." Sakura said unable to look into those blue eyes so expressive. She did not want him to see that she did not feel guilty about what she had done, if anything, she was pleased with her decisions. "I was captured by an Akatsuki member..."

"You what?" Naruto shouted, accompanied by Sai, Sasuke and Kakashi.

Sakura sighed and took a step closer to Itachi to feel a little more confident. "During the fight with Sasori, I got something that didn't belong to me. One of the Akatsuki members came after the object I took, and I was on one of their bases during that time." She explained.

Sai inclined the head as if analyzing the information. "Did he help you escape?" He asked pointing at Itachi.

"Why would he do that?" Naruto shouted angrily.

"Lots of unnecessary questions." Tsunade interrupted. "You can have a private reunion later." She stood up and walked around the table, leaning back against it with her arms folded. "The important things first." She squeezed the eyes tightly away from the migraine that was forming. "Uchiha Itachi was the one who effected the massacre against the Uchiha clan, but now we know it was a direct order from the Sandaime, which makes him a shinobi loyal to Konoha." She looked directly at him. "I'm not going to arrest you, but I can't have you wandering around the village freely until everything is resolved."

Itachi nodded. He already expected that.

She looked at everyone in the room. "During Sakura's absence, we had a few days to plan some things, which is why I called you here before she arrived. Jiraya is on way to Konoha, he arrives in two days and with his presence we're going to organize a strategy."

"What do you want, Baa-chan?" Naruto interrupted, really curious and excited by the arrival of his master.

"Let's overthrow the Council." She said something serious.

* * *

Tsunade explained the role that each one would have in the next events and dismissed them, after emphasizing how essential it was that Itachi and Sakura remained locked somewhere without seeing the light of day so that no one in Konoha had a glimpse of them. They would be doomed if Akatsuki imagined they were in Konoha.

She did not care what happened in their personal lives on condition that village did not suffer from it. She screamed for almost half an hour over Sakura's recklessness and Itachi watched as her stubborn and defiant girl heard every word without opening her mouth to retort against all the things Tsunade had said. He saw the look of respect and admiration she had in her green eyes directed at the woman in front of them. "Send that weird bird to tell your mother you're fine." She screamed as they left the room and Sakura nodded. Itachi did not lose the smile that adorned her lips.

They jumped between the rooftops of Konoha toward Sakura's apartment while Sakura and Itachi used henges to cover up. She opened the balcony door and went out of the way for them to enter.

The small living room was even smaller with the number of people in it. "I need a bigger house." Sakura muttered as she tore off her sandals and threw herself on the couch. "Take off your shoes and let them in entrance. My house is already dirty enough, after a week." She grunted and Itachi watched in amusement as all her companions obeyed without question. "You too." She shouted at him and he obeyed, just because he did not like wearing shoes in home, not that he obeyed anyone.

They jumped between the rooftops of Konoha toward Sakura's apartment while they both used henges to cover up. She opened the balcony door and went out of the way for them to enter.

The small living room was even smaller with the number of people in.. "I need a bigger house." Sakura muttered as she tore off her sandals and threw herself on the couch. "Take off your shoes and let them in the entrance. My house is already dirty enough, after a week." She grunted and Itachi watched in amusement as all her companions obeyed without question. "You too." She shouted at him and he obeyed, just because he did not like wearing shoes in home, not that he obeyed anyone.

"Tsunade said you were on a mission." Naruto said trying to break the thick tension that was flooding the room.

"I sent her a note explaining that I was safe." She exited in fear of their reaction. "I was safe because Itachi was with me."

"Okay, Sakura-chan, what's your relationship with the older Teme?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"Teme?" Itachi grunted incredulously.

Sakura sighed, knowing that this question would arrive and she knew would be Naruto the first to question. He hated being in the dark about anything. "I've known Itachi for a long time. We're childhood friends."

"We're childhood friends." He replied with a pout.

"You'll stop interrupting me." She screamed outraged by earning an apology from him. "I met Itachi before meeting you or the others. He was my first friend."

"And sensei." Kakashi said with an obvious bite of jealousy in his voice.

"You guys are impossible." Sakura said indignantly, getting up off the couch and heading toward the kitchen. "Itachi and I met and he's a good man, that's all he has to know." She took a box of tea from the cupboard and a kettle, filling it with water and putting it on the stove. "Tea?" She asked for education.

"I want ramen." Naruto grumbled, following her into the kitchen.

"Na-ru-to." Sakura said in a warning tone.

"Tea is fine." He said putting the hands in front of him in defense. "Cookies?" He said with a smile.

Sakura smiled back and reached for a packet in the closet, putting on the table.

"I'm leaving. I'll be back tomorrow to see how you are." Kakashi said with a smile beneath the mask and before she could respond he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"Never change." Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke said at the same time.

"I'll dispense tea too, Sakura-chan." Yamato walked over to her and whispering something in her ear to make her nod, walked into the living room and walked out into the glass door without looking back, followed by Sai who say goodbye before jumping toward the street.

Sakura looked at Naruto who was devouring the package cookies and walked into the room. "Hm... You can talk in my room." She said somewhat insecurely to the Uchihas before her.

"I'm fine, right here." Sasuke grunted.

"Sasuke." She insisted and sat next to him, taking his hand in hers. "You have a lot to talk about."

Itachi remained motionless, leaning against the wall as he watched Sakura's interaction with her teammates. He was reluctant to admit to himself that the way she treated Sasuke irritated him. When Sasuke touched her pink hair affectionately as he looked at him with a almost satisfied look on his face, made him know that Sasuke knew exactly what he was feeling.

"Come on, little brother." Itachi said firmly as he walked to an open door where he saw it was the room and did not look back, expecting him to follow.

Sasuke rise and followed him dutifully and hated himself for keeping obedient to his old brother after all these years.


	21. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

Itachi looked around, watching her small room, the decor was simple with wine and cream tones and he felt comfortable in that space, there was a bed big enough for two, a messy desk, a bookcase full of books, scrolls and many photo frames.

He glanced briefly at the photos, the first was her genin team, where she was between Sasuke and Uzumaki who seemed obviously displeased, with Kakashi above her smiling under the mask. The second photo was hers in a jounin uniform with the parents next to her smiling proudly. Another photo was Sakura with a blue-eyed blonde girl he did not recognize, both in white coats. Another photo was her in the jounin uniform next to the heir Nara's clan and a Hyuuga, he did not miss the way the Hyuuga's arm tightened around her waist and how close they was, he don't liked. Another picture was Sakura in her ANBU uniform next to two masked men he assumed were the last to leave the apartment a short time ago. The last picture was of Sakura next to the Hokage and another woman with black hair, holding a pig, he would ask about the pig later. He realized that he lost a lot of her life and wondered how much he could recover.

Sasuke entered the room and closed the door behind him, using it as a back rest. He did not know what to think or how to act in that situation. He felt angry for his brother and knew that he was carrying out an order directly from the Hokage and one of the council members made him able to direct some of the hatred to the people responsible, but it did not change the fact that he had murdered their parents, leaving him, alone with a terribly painful wound behind. Sasuke knew that he would probably be in a very different place were it not for his team to have directed him to the right way. He was confused and irritated.

He saw the way Itachi looked at Sakura, he did not miss the mark that was on her neck, even though she was covering it with the hair. He saw the exchanges of eyes and hand rests to know that there was more and that irritated him without end, but he did not know if it was because he wanted Sakura to act like that with himself or if it was because she was much closer to his brother's that he never was. Everything was even more confusing and he had an annoying and throbbing headache.

Sasuke's presence in the bedroom made Itachi feel remorse and happiness at the same time, it was a strange feeling. "I'm so sorry." He said before anything. He knew it was not enough, but he needed to start somewhere and Sasuke deserved at least that from him. "I'm really sorry."

Sasuke felt the eyes burn and could not stop a tear from falling. "Not enough." He said stubbornly, but there was no fire in his voice.

Itachi nodded and stepped cautiously forward, as if approaching a wild animal. He sighed heavily. "My intention was for you to kill me." He said in a neutral tone, thinking about what he would say next. He walked over to a wine-colored chair beneath the window and sat down, motioning for Sasuke to sit on the bed in front of him. He had a lot to say to redeem himself and that was just the beginning.

* * *

_I thought I saw the devil this morning_  
_Looking in the mirror, drop of rum on my tongue_  
_With the warning to help me see myself clearer_

* * *

Sasuke sat in the bed and for the first time in years, he looked Itachi in the eyes, without fear or anger, there was only curiosity and a numbing sensation as if that was not even real. "I'm listening."

Itachi kept the eyes on his. "I wanted you to move on. I thought that making you hate me would give you a good perspective, a goal to live."

"Of killing you?" Sasuke snorted. "Your plan worked. All that I had thought of in the past few years was how I would avenge our clan when I bathed in your blood." He gritted the teeth.

Itachi nodded. "Sakura said I was wrong." Itachi did not lose the way Sasuke narrowed the eyes at that statement. "She said you would hate yourself if you found out that you killed me when I was just complying an order."

"She's always been the most reasonable of the team." Sasuke joked. He stopped to think about it, about how he would feel if he killed Itachi and then discovered the whole truth. He agreed that he would surely go completely mad. "You'll not admit that you was wrong, are you?!" He asked with obvious sarcasm in voice.

"I've made a lot of mistakes, little brother. Today is just the first day that I'll be redeemed for the rest of my life." Itachi said sincerely, surprising Sasuke. "But I can't bring our parents back... Our clan... I can't give back what I stole from you."

Sasuke nodded. He suffered every day since he was nine years old whenever he thought about the loss of his clan and his family at the hands of his own brother, but he never wondered how Itachi felt because he thought Itachi had done everything on a whim in a lapse of insanity, but now knowing that his brother was complying orders, he did not know how to think. He felt a lump in the throat at the thought of the hell Itachi had lived all this years too. When he looked up and saw Itachi looking at him, he felt compassion.

* * *

_I never meant to start a fire_  
_I never meant to make you bleed_  
_I'll be a better man today_

* * *

"You wanted me to kill you." Sasuke stated with a little disbelief in voice.

Itachi nodded. "You would reach peace and I would have what I deserved. It would be fair to both of us."

"And if I found out everything after killing you? If Sakura saw I killing you?" Sasuke said what came to mind, without think before. He was beginning to feel the walls breaking inside him. He wanted to hear everything, he wanted the unspoken truths all these years, he wanted the clarity that was denied him for so long.

Itachi laughed lightly and Sasuke felt the eyes widen with that sound. He had not seen Itachi smile or laugh in years and felt like he was eight years old again. "Sakura said exactly the same thing." Itachi kept the smile on face. "It seems like I wasn't so wise at thirteen how everyone thought I was."

Sasuke blinked a few times when he saw that side of Itachi that he did not even remember existed. "You planned this at thirteen and sustained for all this time?" He asked in a low voice.

Itachi kept the same upright posture and arms on the armrest but deep down he wanted to pull Sasuke in a tight hug. He restrained himself. "It was the only certainty I had. Keep you alive, close to Sakura, until the time came when you would kill me and have peace with yourself."

"You're a fool." Sasuke snapped before he could stop.

Itachi raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Be careful with the words, little brother, I'm still the oldest." He scolded and held himself so far as he could to keep the cold front and hide a smile that desperately wanted to escape. He was proud that Sasuke had grown up and become a brave man.

"Hn." Sasuke crossed the arms over his chest and raised the head slightly in an act of rebellion. He did not know if it was just an impression, but the thick air in the room had completely dissipated.

"I was sick." Itachi said after a few seconds of silence. "Dying."

Sasuke uncrossed the arms and felt his eyes widen in surprise. "That's why it did not matter if I killed you."

Itachi nodded. "Sakura is healing me." He said. "She'll also fix my sharingan. I'm practically blind, my vision is slowly fading."

Sasuke was surprised by this information. He felt an unexpected relief at the knowledge that Sakura had reached Itachi in time to save him. He was even more confused at having these feelings when before long he could only feel disgust for the person in front of him. He was intrigued by Itachi relying on him to expose such a weakness. He felt the bond of trust between them restoring little by little.

* * *

_My past has tasted bitter for years now_  
_So I will deny and face_  
_Grace is just weakness o_ _r so I've been told_  
_I've been cold, I've been merciless_

* * *

"There's another Uchiha alive." Itachi thought it was helpful for Sasuke to know this information.

Sasuke realized that this conversation was full of surprises. "How?"

Itachi understood the intent of the question. "He helped me in the massacre." Itachi said in a low voice, feeling heavy on him as he remembered that night. "I met him on a mission. He wore a mask and claimed to be Uchiha Madara."

"Madara has been dead for a long time." Sasuke said incredulously.

Itachi nodded. "I also think so. This man was an Uchiha who took me to Akatsuki."

"Does anyone know of his existence?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Sakura." Itachi stated.

"Don't involve her any more in all this." Sasuke said angrily.

"Hn. Sakura knows how to take care of herself, little brother." Itachi replied. "She planned to be caught."

Sasuke frowned, remembering everything Tsunade had yelled at her in the office that morning and now it all made sense. Sakura stole the scroll from the Council herself, she probably planned to be captured just to bring Itachi back. "You allowed her to stay at the base of the enemy, surrounded by dangerous missing ninjas." He said in a low, heavy voice of indignation.

"If you know Sakura like I know, you know there's nothing to stop her from doing something when she puts it in her mind." Itachi said in a calm voice that irritated Sasuke much more.

"If you care so much about her, you should have found a way to get her back." Sasuke replied.

"You're implying that I didn't take care of her." Itachi said in a dangerously low voice and Sasuke realized that he had crossed a line and was surprised for the tenth time that morning that Itachi could be so out of control when it came to Sakura. "Sakura is one of the most powerful kunoichis among the five nations. She would break your arm if yshe heard you treating her like a glass doll."

Sasuke knew he was right in his last statement but refused to agree. "I'll protect her too much as I can."

* * *

_But the blood on my hands_  
_Scares me to death_  
_Maybe I'm waking up today_

* * *

"She is mine." Itachi said with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"That's what that mark on her neck means." Sasuke said angrily.

Itachi's smile widened. "You've become an insightful shinobi, little brother."

"Hn. Sakura doesn't belong to anyone. She is her own person." Sasuke said with intent to annoy his older brother, but something warmed his chest with pride at Itachi's recognition. He yearned for it when he was a child.

"Sakura belongs to me." Itachi said seriously leaning slightly forward and Sasuke smiled, happy to get the reaction he wanted from him. He knew how much Itachi had been possessive since childhood. So was he.

"She's my teammate." Sasuke leaned forward, the elbows on his knees. "My friend, my ..."

"Don't cross the line, little brother." Itachi warned. "I'm willing to spend the rest of my days redeeming myself for everything that made you suffer, but Sakura is still mine." He leaned back in the chair again hoping that all that talk coming from his brother was just provocation as he thought it was. He'd already taken too much of Sasuke.

Sasuke really wanted to annoy his brother, but he did not expect Itachi to be so serious about it. He did not know if he was happy that Itachi cared for Sakura so much, because she was important to him too, or that he was irritated by the relationship between them being so profound.

When a knock on the door echoed through the room he decided to think about it later, after all, if Itachi stayed around, they would have all the time in the world to sort things out.

* * *

_For all of the light that I've shout out_  
_For all of the innocent things that I've doubt_  
_For all of the bruises that I've caused and the tears_  
_For all of the things that I've done all these years_

* * *

"Hey, guys, sorry to interrupt." Sakura said shyly, putting her head in the crevice of the door she had just opened. "Naruto is devouring everything."

"That dobe." Sasuke said angrily and walked towards the door. He glanced over his shoulder for Itachi to follow. He took Sakura's hand, pleased with the riveted look on his older brother's face and headed for the kitchen pulling her with him.

Everyone sat around the table and Itachi felt the mouth salivate with the breads and cakes that were on the table and wondered how long they'd been talking in te room if Sakura had time to prepare all that. Sakura looked at him with a smile. "One of Naruto's bunshin went to get everything at the corner bakery." She giggled and filled a plate with several sandwiches, pies and sweets for him.

"Thanks." He said as he took the plate and served tea for her.

He looked at the blonde guy filling his mouth with food and shook the head at the lack of manners. He reached for a glass and filled it with red juice that was in a jar, knowing exactly what it was and almost smiled with the surprised face of Sasuke as he handed the glass to him. "Tomato juice."

"It's his favorite." Sakura said with a wink.

"Why don't you do my favorite too, Sakura-chan?" Naruto complained.

"You can eat ramen for dinner." She said irritably as she filled his plate with more pies. "Now eat it."

Naruto smiled at her and Itachi thought he had gone totally blind with the brightness of his smile directed at her. For a moment he thought they looked like a family, completely dysfunctional, but a family. "Are you staying with Teme?" Naruto asked as if Itachi were an old acquaintance.

"Teme, would be Sasuke?" He asked uncertainly.

"He is the Teme for you." Naruto smacked Sasuke's shoulder that almost knocked the juice down on the table.

"Dobe, I'm going to kill you." Sasuke said angrily, closing a fist toward Naruto's blond head.

"If you start fighting, I'll throw the two of you out." Sakura said in an incredibly low voice between clenched teeth.

"Sorry." The two muttered and went back to eating in silence.

"You can stay here." Sakura said to Itachi who nodded at her.

"You only have one room, Sakura-chan." Naruto said innocently.

Sasuke knew very well where his brother was going to sleep and almost laughed at Sakura's red face.

"He can sleep on the couch." She replied trying to disguise the obvious embarrassment. "Unless you want to be together." She looked between Sasuke and Itachi.

"He can stay here until I get a bigger place. My apartment is smaller than yours and I dob't have a couch or futon extras." Sasuke replied after wiping the mouth with a napkin.

Itachi nodded and smiled slightly at his brother. He knew he had not been completely forgiven but the possibility that Sasuke might accept him in the future was already a satisfactory begin.

* * *

_Yeah, for all the sparks that I've stomped out_  
_For all of the perfect things that I've doubt_

* * *

After eating and cleaning the kitchen together. Naruto put on his sandals and looked at Sakura. "Thank you for the food, Sakura-chan. I'll be back tomorrow to do your shopping."

"I want to know if you're eating right." Sakura snapped as she walked toward him. "I cleaned your place earlier, when Shishou said you were coming back, but I bet you haven't kept clean since you came back that mission." She narrowed the eyes as he scratched the back of the neck nervously and that gesture reminded her of a certain masked Uchiha.

"I promise I'll clean up." He smiled and kissed her forehead before running out of the apartment.

Sakura smiled unconsciously at his clowns. She loved Naruto like a brother and she missed caring for him like when they were kids. She looked at Sasuke and smiled. "I bet you kept the yours clean."

"By the way, thank you for cleaning." Sasuke said with a small smile and she nodded.

She went into the bedroom and came out with a towel in her hand ready to take a decent shower because the bath in the river she had taken that morning did not compare to the bath in the bathtub she had been craving for more than a week. "I'll leave you both alone. Be civilized like good Uchihas." She blinked before disappearing into the bathroom, leaving the two brothers in the living room.

* * *

_I'll be good, I'll be good_  
_And I'll love the world, like I should_  
_Yeah, I'll be good, I'll be good_  
_For all of the times I never could_

* * *

Itachi sat on the couch and Sasuke followed him keeping a distance between them. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

Sasuke leaned the head against the back of the couch and closed the eyes tightly. "How did you have to kill them?" He asked in a low, unsteady voice.

Itachi felt the chest ache. "I can show you." He said firmly and Sasuke looked at him and after a long moment nodded.

He activated the sharingan and allowed Sasuke to watch everything he did that fateful night, but this time there was no manipulation like when he was a child, this time he allowed his brother to see through the memory he had since Shisui's sacrifice at the waterfall, all the pain and anguish he felt as he shoved a kunai into the heart of each sleeping child, the way his stomach fluttered whenever an Uchiha woke up and turned on the lights of houses and he had to watch the terrified eyes of his victims fade when life left their bodies.

He show the flashes from when he saw by far the masked Uchiha to kill with coolness and no hesitation every citizen who tried to escape through the streets of the district. At the end of it all he showed the way he hesitated when see his parents kneel before him, only after Fugaku's words he had to thrust a sword into the heart of his parents and watch his mother's body fall on his father's body while the blood dripped from his hands.

Sasuke watched through Itachi's perspective when himself, of nine years old, came through the doors of the house with a smile and Itachi had to act like an insane traitor to convince the little brother that this was the real Itachi, to made him believe that he was a terrible person all the time. He felt the pain burning in his brother's chest and the heat of a tear trickling down his face when Itachi turned and left him lying in a pool of blood in front of the house where one day they lived like a happy family.

When he thought that was over, Danzo's terrified face appeared and he saw from Itachi's perspective that seemed to be hidden by a mask and a cape, threatening Danzo to keep the hands away from his little brother. He saw the guilt on Hiruzen's face when Itachi knelt before him and declared the success of the mission and the weight of overwhelming guilt when Itachi looked at Konoha from a pillar before disappearing into the darkness of the night to accompany the masked man in what would be his new life.

When the tomoe of the sharingan stopped spinning and the vision dissipated, Sasuke gasped and breathed heavily.

Itachi raised the right hand toward him and for a second Sasuke thought he would touch his forehead as he always did, but when he felt Itachi's hand cupping his neck to bring the forehead to his, he lost control of all emotions and a strangled sob echoed through the silent room. When Itachi pulled Sasuke's head to sink into his chest, Sasuke cried.

Itachi hugged him tightly and stroked his dark hair, just as he did when Sasuke was a child and woke up in the middle of the night scared of a nightmare.

In the bathroom Sakura buried the head between her knees and cried silently.


	22. True identity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was a lonely girl who found a friend in him. He was a prodigy boy who let himself be enveloped by her. When he had to make the most difficult decision to save the village and the people he loved, she would be the one to believe him to the end, even if it cost everything.

When the noise outside disappeared, Sakura wiped herself with a towel and put on clean pajamas, she used a healing chakra to soothe her crying eyes, looking in the mirror she noticed for the first time the mark on her neck and held herself to not shout at Itachi, knowing that it would not be a good time, she cured that too and left the bathroom to find Itachi and Sasuke sitting on the couch side by side, a smile pulled at the corner of her lips before she could stop.

"Hey." She whispered and walked toward them.

Sasuke looked her up and down and got up from the couch. "I need to sort out somethings." He stroked her cheek with affection and with a glance over his shoulder at the older brother, he went out the window without saying anything else.

"Is it so difficult to use the door?" Sakura grunted to herself.

Itachi looked at her the way Sasuke had looked before and she wondered what was wrong. She raised an eyebrow at a silent question, knowing he would understand. "Isn't night." His husky voice sent shivers down her skin and she walked to sit beside him on the couch.

"We can't go anywhere, I wear pajamas on my day off." She said petulantly.

"I didn't realize that..." he pointed at her. "... were pajamas."

Sakura narrowed the eyes. "What do you mean by that?" She hoped he was not insulting the way she dressed inside her own house.

Itachi put a hand on the exposed thigh and squeezed it causing Sakura to moan unconsciously. "Don't wear this piece of clothing in front of another man." He whispered hoarsely in her ear and she nodded, feeling that her voice had suddenly disappeared.

Itachi smiled arrogantly, feeling a pleasant satisfaction at seeing her so obedient. "Good girl." He kissed her neck and smelled sweet that made him have an irritating urge to taste her.

"You're having perverted thoughts." She said half amused as she placed the hands on his chest.

Itachi pulled away from her and kept a smile in the lips. He could have been getting used to having her so close all the time that everything seemed too good to be true. With his past experiences he knew that a shinobi should enjoy the moments of happiness because they did not last.

"How was the conversation with Sasuke?" She asked and settled down on the couch.

"Enlightening to him." He sighed and laid the head on the couch, gazing at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Such pain doesn't go away overnight."

Sakura nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. "And how do you feel about being back?" She could not help but ask.

He looked at her for a few seconds. "Unreal." He stroked her face the way Sasuke had done before and she realized they were very similar, both physically and in personality.

"It's real." She smiled at him. "But I think the things will get complicated as soon Jiraya-sama returns." She got up and pulled him by the hand toward the bedroom. "There's something I want to show you." She walked over to the wardrobe and took a large box of varnished wood and Itachi watched as she made a sequence of hand signals he would have missed if he did not stare and when she put her hand on the box, inserting chakra in the box, he realized that whatever was inside that box was important.

She opened the heavy box and set it on the bed. He walked and sat next to her looking inside the box surprised to see several scrolls inside. "The scrolls I found in Danzo's office." She clarified and he felt a pang of curiosity. "Each one contain something compromising, so I locked in the box."

He nodded and picked a scroll, allowing curiosity to win.

Sakura lay in bed lazily, knowing that reading those scrolls would take long enough for her to take a nap.

Itachi finished reading all the scrolls faster than he expected, with the help of the sharingan, although his vision was not so good like before, it was good enough to record the contents before him. He kept everything inside the box, making the same seals that Sakura had made, but if he did not use the chakra to seal the box again, Sakura would do it later, he suspected the box might explode or something similar if he tried to use his chakra in it. He took off his long-sleeved shirt, took only the regatta and walked to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Sakura woke up late in the afternoon with the smell of food invading the room. She jumped out of bed, tied the hair in a messy bun and walked to the kitchen, smiling at Itachi with a red apron standing in front of the stove.

"You'd make a good wife." She kissed his cheek and walked to the cupboards, taking plates and glasses.

"Hn." He answered and she knew he was amused at her statement.

"How was the reading." She asked.

"Interesting." He poured the dinner and took off his apron, hanging on the hook by the sink. Pulling the pebble beside her, he sat down while she poured the tea. "You didn't report your Hokage." He said before giving the first fork in the fish before him.

Sakura shook the head in denial. "She would be deposed."

Itachi nodded. "With this plan to overthrow the council, I think these scrolls will be very useful."

"Do you think it would be good to take this box to the meeting when Jiraya returns?" She asked as she enjoyed the food he had made.

"I do." He thought that this advice should have been investigated long ago and that perhaps his father was not so wrong in wanting it years ago. Fugaku was only going the wrong way, but the goal itself seemed less wrong in Itachi's eyes after all he discovered.

"By the way, your apartment is cozy." He was pleased to see a smile on her face.

* * *

The next morning, Sakura and Itachi jumped out of bed in the presence of someone in the room. She grabbed a kunai that was trapped under the bed while Itachi activated the sharingan, both in defensive position on each side of the bed. Sakura felt the cheeks heat as she remembered wearing nothing but black underwear and bra. Itachi was in all half-naked glory, wearing only boxers because of last night's stimulating events.

Itachi grabbed the sheet from the bed and threw it at Sakura to hide her body from the intruders.

"Sakura-chan, you said he was going to sleep on the couch." Naruto screamed, breaking the awkward silence.

Sakura recovered her senses. "Get out of my room, NOW." She screamed in annoyance and threw the kunai that Kakashi easily caught between the fingers before it hit one of them and Sakura swore there was an amused smile beneath that mask.

"Come on, boys." Kakashi said with an amused tone as he dragged an indignant Naruto and a reluctant Sasuke through the bedroom door.

"Unbelievable." Sakura muttered to herself, walking toward the wardrobe to get something decent to wear.

"It could have been worse." Itachi grunted as he pulled out a shirt and trousers in the wardrobe, where he had kept all his belongings the night before, when they decided that apartment was good enough for two people.

Sakura did not lose the smile on the corner of his lips and knew he was not bothered with everyone knowing what kind of intercourse they had, if anything, he seemed pleased.

They entered the living room, where Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke were sprawled on the cream-colored couch. "You should have triggered the protective seals." Kakashi murmured with a clear smile in his voice.

"You should knock before entering." She screamed indignantly, fleeing into the kitchen. "And since when do you wake up early anyway?" She asked, looking at the clock that marked seven.

"Ero-senin arrived earlier than expected." Naruto answered and followed Sakura into the kitchen. "Sakura-chan, why were you sleeping naked together?" He asked suspiciously.

"Dobe." Sasuke warned not wanting to hear about the activities of his older brother and his teammate.

"I thought you were helping Jiraya-sensei with the polls for Icha Icha." Kakashi added.

"What does that have to do with-" Naruto frowned in concentration. "Ooooh." He exclaimed as if he understood everything. "What the hell are you doing with my Sakura-chan?" He screamed outraged by pointing a finger at Itachi and Sakura realized that the kitchen was even smaller than the room with so many people inside.

"Your Sakura?" Itachi asked in a dangerously low tone, taking a step toward Naruto who swallowed hard and looked away from the sharingan's tomoe.

"Okay, okay... All of you, seated." Sakura shouted, clapping the hands, remembering Iruka-sensei in her Academy days. "I'm going to make the breakfast and the first one to make funny comment will goes to the Hokage Tower, flying!" She glanced sharply at Kakashi knowing that he would be the first to instigate another fight between Naruto and Itachi, if the amused look on his face was an indication.

"Good." Sakura stated when a comfortable silence fell on them as the four waited patiently and quietly in their seats at the table.  **"It's going to be a long day."**  Inner whispered amused.

* * *

Itachi chose to use a genjutsu to cover him and Sakura's presence as they quickly followed to the Hokage Tower. They entered after being announced for Shizune and Sakura activated the same protective seal so the conversation was kept inside the office.

Jiraya kept the arms folded and remained leaning against the window sill but a smile adorned his face as Itachi entered the room. "It's good to see you here, Itachi-san."

Itachi bowed respectfully. "Jiraya-sama."

"Do you know each other?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Itachi is my informant inside Akatsuki." Jiraya clarified with a laugh.

"You never thought to tell me, did you?" Tsunade snapped, obviously irritated.

"Ne Tsune..." Jiraya scratched the nape of the neck nervously remembering Sakura from the masked Uchiha and Naruto at the same time. "I leave with Naruto soon after you take the position as Hokage. I didn't have time to tell you much things."

"Like how much I should watch out for Danzo and the rest of the council or how this Village is full of lies hidden under the table." She snapped at the knuckles making Jiraya step away from her.

"Shishou." Sakura called, fearing that her master would lose control completely. "There's something important I need to show you."

"It's better not to be more hidden secrets and disastrous revelations, because if that's it, Sakura, I don't know what I'm going to do to you." Tsunade warned her.

Sakura took a step back completely repentant for the decision she had made. Itachi put a hand on her shoulder and she sighed in frustration. "That's just it, shishou." She said the determination and made complicated and fast hand signals and with a pop, a large box of wood appeared on the table in front of Tsunade and Sakura opened it by revolving the contents.

"Where you...?" Tsunade stammered, fearing what that might be.

"ANBU Root Leader's Office." Sakura said in the same tone she used to report missions.

"When?" Tsunade fumbled in a neutral tone as she fumbled inside the box, unrolling some scrolls.

"Two and a half years." When Tsunade looked at her with obvious understanding in her eyes, Sakura knew that Tsunade understood that she had not revealed all of this before to protect her.

"You can start." Tsunade said to Jiraya, then put the glasses on her face and got lost reading the scrolls in front of her.

"I've been in Ame for the last few days, doing some research on Akatsuki. I've discovered some things that can lead us directly to the leader." He walked over to the table and leaned back against her, crossing the arms over his chest. "I came here to warn Tsune, that I'm leaving to find out about the true identity of a guy named Pain, known as Angel in Rain Country."

"If you go, you'll not be back." Itachi said earnestly and Tsunade dropped the scroll she was holding to look at them.

"Well, then he'll not." Tsunade said firmly.

"You're offending me." Jiraya said with false offense.

"Everything we need to know about Akatsuki and this Pain is within our reach now." She said pointing to Itachi with a smile.

* * *

"So there's another Uchiha alive?" Naruto asked, genuinely surprised by all the things Itachi had revealed.

Kakashi had taken his usual place on the window parapet, Jiraya and Itachi occupied the chairs in front of Tsunade's table while Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura were standing next to Kakashi.

"He calls himself, Uchiha Madara." Itachi added.

"Impossible." Tsunade said thoughtfully. "Madara died a long time ago for my grandfather's hand in the valley of the end."

"Or so the legend says." Jiraya added, knowing that in the ninja world a lot of seemingly impossible was possible.

"He isn't Madara." Sakura said firmly and Itachi looked at her curiously. "I have a suspicion of who he is."

"We're listening." Kakashi declared, knowing that if Sakura had any theory, she deserved to be heard.

* * *

**_Four days ago..._ **

_"What do you have to me?" Sakura asked hoarsely for lack of use._

_"Oh..." Tobi approached her even more. "Tobi will take you on a trip." He_ _took her hand and guided her toward the kitchen, leading her to the training camp beyond the glass door that separates the building from the outside. Sakura walked reluctantly while she looked intently between his back and the gloved hand that had a strong grip on her. "Don't worry, Tobi will be good if you're be good with Tobi."_

_"Will Tobi hurt me?" Sakura asked in an uncertain voice, trying to buy time to think of something to get rid of him._

_He stopped abruptly making her bump into his back. He turned and ran the gloved hand over her cheek. "Tobi doesn't want to hurt you Sakura-chan, but Sakura needs to be good now." He said in a low, whispered voice._

_"Who are you?" Sakura asked really wanting to know the answer and stared at the hole in the orange mask, unafraid to see that his eye was dark and not red. She wondered how anyone could be so gentle and terrifying at the same time._

_"You said yourself that I'm Madara." He said in a thick voice, making her known that Tobi's act had fallen, but that voice was not as cold as the day before._

_"You aren't." She said with conviction, hoping to pull something out of him._

_He took a step back and let his hand fall from her face. "Curiosity killed the kunoichi, Sakura-chan" He said it in that same hoarse voice, but it was soothing in his tone, completely different from the playful, childlike tone he wore when he acted like Tobi and completely different from the cold, menacing tone he wore when he wanted her to believe that he really was Uchiha Madara._

_"Who are you now?" She asked willingly to take this away from him regardless of the consequences, as far as she knew, she was going to a torture session followed by death, anyway. If so, she would at least find out who he was and before she died she would tell Kuro to tell Itachi. **"We can't die here."**  Inner said as she remembered Itachi and Sakura agreed._

_In a second Sakura found herself trapped in a tree with Tobi above her, trapping her whole body against the rough trunk. "In all those years I never needed to be anything but Tobi or Madara. I'll not start now." He said with an annoyed tone and she knew he had lost his temper with her._

_"You don't have to be anyone but yourself." She whispered back._

_"You don't know anything." He screamed and pressed her even more, making her feel the blood flow down her arms with the scratches caused by the harshness of the tree and the force he was putting on her._

_"I know no matter what happened, I would never let anyone manipulate me to be what I don't want." She said through gritted teeth and felt his gloved fingers squeezing her neck, in the blink of an eye she was hurled through the forest, thanking the impact of her body against the ground being strong enough to make the chakra suppressor on her neck break, giving her the opportunity to use chakra without worrying about putting Itachi in trouble._

_She lunged at him as he approached her and became irritated as he dodged every blow with ease. "Don't make the things harder, Sakura-chan." He warned her and for a moment she thought he was having fun._

_"Don't call me that." She screamed irritably at him to remind him of Naruto so many times. Sakura gave a sequence of blows and realized that all the blows passed directly through him, but after a while he made an effort to dodge. She thought that with this ability he could knock her down when he wanted, but he did not, making her sure he was having fun and it irritated her even more that he was playing with her._

_The third time he dodged, Sakura noticed the pattern and smiled with satisfaction at herself. She waited patiently as he carried all the blows that went right through his body as he prepared to dodge, she created a kage bunshin with masked chakra and almost screamed with satisfaction when the kick of the kage bunshin hit his face, sending him directly to a tree._

_Sakura dissipated the bunshin and ran towards him, feeling something stranger inside her when she saw his face exposed, realizing that the kick had been strong enough to break the orange mask, splitting it into pieces that was now scattered across the floor._

_She walked and knelt in front of him, apparently unconscious, sitting on the ground with the back to the tree._ _Standing between his legs, she placed her hand on the right side of his face that seemed deformed and unthinkingly poured healing chakra over him, impressed by feeling the presence of Hashirama's DNA that she knew very well after all the times she had treated and healed Yamato. She used a technique she had developed exclusively for Yamato and sighed contentedly as she saw the deformities in the skin and muscles being repaired, making his face completely free of imperfections._

_Sakura did not know what made her do it, but seeing him look so helpless and bruised made her once again remember Naruto and she felt an unusual need to help him. She nodded to herself, satisfied with the job well done and looked at his face for a few seconds trying to remember where she had seen those features before. **"We can remember that later. Time to run."**  Inner alerted and Sakura stood up, ready to run to Ame in search of Itachi and drag him back to Konoha with her, but before she could take a step away, the gloved hand gripped her wrist and she found herself staring at the tomoe whirling of the sharingan and then darkness._

* * *

"Did you recognize his face after healing him?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

Sakura nodded. "I had time to think about it." She did not lose the way Itachi's jaw clenched and she was sure he was blaming himself for the time she spent under torture. "I'm sure I saw his face in a photo at Sensei's apartment."

"Hey, why you've been to Kakashi-sensei's apartment when I've never been." Naruto asked irritably.

"I have the key." Sakura replied nonchalantly.

"She has our keys too, dobe." Sasuke contributed with indifference.

"She waters my plants." Kakashi said with a smile. "I would never trust the care of my home to you." He added to Naruto. "The only photos I have are of our team and my team, Sakura-chan."

"Exactly." Sakura nodded.

"Sakura, my whole team is dead." Kakashi said in a somber tone as he descended from the window parapet.

"Kakashi, how did your team mate die? The boy, I mean." She asked feeling a stab of uncertainty.

"Sakura." Tsunade warned but Sakura looked at Kakashi with a look that she knew he would never deny her anything.

He sighed heavily and squeezed the tip of the nose with obvious frustration, hating having to talk about the past in front of so many people, he hated talking in front of anyone, actually. "Obito was crushed by a stone during a mission. He died."

Sakura nodded and felt guilty to see Kakashi having to relive the past that way, but she needed to be sure of her assumptions. "Tobi had the right side of his face deformed, as if he had been crushed by a stone, he wears gloves to hide his hand and I'm sure I have identified Hashirama's DNA in his cells. Believe me, I know the DNA of Hashirama and I know how it can regenerate miraculously."

"She's right on that point." Tsunade stated.

"He doesn't have the left eye and his right eye is a sharingan." When she said that, Kakashi raised the hand and passed over his left eye covered.

"Impossible." He murmured to himself.

"What did you say his name was, sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Obito." He said quietly.

"Tobi." Sakura said aloud. "An Uchiha who wasn't present in Konoha the night of the massacre, because he was supposedly dead." She knew she was opening old wounds on many people in that room, but they needed it to continue with the plans against Akatsuki. "Has his body been found?" She asked the last question that would confirm all suspicions.

"No. We were in war." Kakashi said, knowing that everyone understood that go behind of a body to bury in the middle of enemy territory was stupid.

"It all makes sense." Itachi concluded. He was pleased with Sakura's deductions because he could never unveil the mystery of that Uchiha's identity because he never knew the identity of Kakashi's teammate.

"Why would he do that?" Kakashi grunted, still stunned, wondering why Obito would not return home if he had survived and still planned against his own village.

"Kakashi." Sakura approached him. "During my time around him, Tobi reminded me a lot of Naruto." Kakashi looked at her as if he had seen a ghost and maybe he had because they had just resurrected the dead.

"Is Obito." Kakashi confirmed without emotion.


	23. Strategies

He woke up that morning and for the first time in years he had the courage to face his face in the mirror. The skin that had previously been completely deformed on one side of the face was now completely smooth and perfect. It only made him feel a bitter taste in the mouth at the thought of having to kill the little pink-haired kunoichi after the gift she had given him.

He had left her alone for a whole day and decided that had been enough to exhaust her physically, he hoped she was completely unconscious when he arrived, so he could enter her mind without damaging the state of mind. An annoying voice deep in his mind screamed that he would regret it bitterly if he hurt her and he wanted to punch his own face by listening to that voice.

Obito teleported to the old Uchiha complex and walked through the grass, now dry, even after an incessant rain the day before and down the stairs to the room that housed the prisoner. He opened the heavy iron door and activated the sharingan to see into the dark room. He walked to the chains where she should be trapped and unconscious like he expected, but the nothing he encountered made blind fury invade every part of him. He punched the iron door before climbing the stairs and run to the building, looking for any sign of life, since he could not feel any chakra. He walked for the hall, opening all the doors he could find along the way, so hard it would not be surprising if one of them flew across the room. He hesitated when he entered Itachi's room, knowing that the young Uchiha hated people entering into his business.

With a last sigh, he entered the room slowly, looking around and at first sight finding nothing unusual. He cursed, realizing Sakura was not there and felt foolish to think that she would miss the opportunity to escape only to hide where she could be easily found. He should have learned the lesson about not underestimating her after she hit him in the face, he stroked the white mask that now replaced the previous one she had broken. "Sakura-chan..." He whispered to himself in the empty room.

Before leaving the room he realized that the desk was completely empty and all the scrolls and books that had been scattered about it before, had disappeared. He felt the brow furrowed with suspicion when he thought she might have bothered to pick up some things that might have information about the Akatsuki before she left. Just to confirm the suspicions, he walked to the dresser and opened a drawer, only to see it empty, the perception of the situation hit him. Annoyed, he opened all the drawers, finding them equally empty and the fury he had felt before returned ten times worse. "You were always a rock in my shoe, Itachi-kun." Obito grunted in anger before disappearing into a whirlpool through the sharingan.

* * *

_**Current Days - Konoha** _

"You mean the real leader of Akatsuki is this Obito and not Pain, Aniki?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi felt the chest heat when he heard Sasuke call him that. If he was not an Uchiha, he would be smiling at that moment. "When that Uchiha..."

"Obito." Sakura interrupted.

"...took me to Akatsuki, I immediately knew that he was behind the organization's command, which leads me to understand that he is very good at manipulating because all the organization believe that Pain is the real leader, even Pain believes in that."

"Is there anything else behind all this?" Tsunade asked, not taking the eyes off a scroll she was reading and Itachi admired her ability to focus on two subjects at once.

"I found a filing where I discovered that Akatsuki has existed since the war, which leads me to believe that this Uchiha persuaded Pain to change the goals of the organization that initially was to help orphans and homelessness left by the war, but those are just suppositions on my part."

"Tachi, do you know Pain's true identity?" Sakura asked, completely missing the looks that turned on her as she called Uchiha Itachi so informally.

He nodded at her. "Uzumaki Nagato."

"What?" Naruto and Jiraya screamed almost comically.

"Uzumaki?" Naruto screamed incredulously once more.

"Nagato?" Jiraya exclaimed indignantly.

"You two hold back." Tsunade commanded without emotion.

Itachi looked at Naruto for a few seconds. "Are you unaware of the origin of your clan?"

"My clan?" Naruto repeated and Itachi felt a contraction in his left eye due to the irritation that this boy was causing in him.

"You can search about your clan when we get out of here, Naruto." Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping he would agree. "Jiraya-sama, do you know Uzumaki Nagato?"

"He was my apprentice." Jiraya explained.

Tsunade dropped the scroll she was reading and stared at him. "One of those three children we met in Ame during the war?"

He nodded. "Nagato would never hurt people like that." Jiraya stammered to himself.

Tsunade ignored the parallel conversations, more interested in unraveling the motives of that organization. "Uchiha, what is Akatsuki's goal in capturing the jinchuurikis?"

"Akatsuki's goal is to extract the Bijuus and sell them to be used like a weapon for the nation to pay more. A war would break out and the stronger nation would prevail, but in the end Akatsuki would prevail because would still own most of the Bijuus, becoming invincible. Nagato-sama believes that the only way to bring absolute peace is by making people know the true pain." Itachi explained.

"That's a lot of bullshit." Sakura snapped irritably.

"Hn." Itachi had a shadow of a smile adorning his lips. He loved to see that fire reflected in her green eyes.

"But I never believed that to be the goal of the Uchiha and that's what intrigues me, I don't know what he intends to do when he has all the Bijuus in his possession." Itachi concluded.

"Aniki, you mean that this Nagato is being cheated and used by Uchiha Obito?" Sasuke asked with an almost confused expression.

"Hn." Itachi nodded.

"And the other members of Akatsuki?" Kakashi asked.

"Most of them aren't there because they want to." Itachi said in a somber tone.

"This is a useful piece of information. We need to get to that Uchiha Obito and uncover his real goal." Tsunade stated. "If Uzumaki Nagato knows he's being manipulated, maybe his plans will change and he'll give up catching the jinchuurikis."

"In theory, that sounds too easy, Shishou." Sakura said thoughtfully. "Tachi, you told me once that they were loyal to the organization..."

"That's because nobody leave the Akatsuki alive." He stated knowing that everyone would understand that the loyalty of the members was nothing but self-preservation.

"Orochimaru is alive." Sasuke added.

"What can be easily solved if I find him." Itachi replied.

"Our main goal at the moment is to overthrow the current Council of Konoha. Let's turn our focus to Akatsuki as soon a new Council is erected, I'm sure Suna will be more than happy to help us overthrow the Akatsuki." Tsunade put the scrolls in the box and set it down. "First we need to review our plans." She stated placing a large scroll on the table. "Sakura, send your bird to bring Yamato and Sai here."

"Hai." Sakura summoned Kuro without question.

* * *

After hours locked in the office reviewing plans for the overthrowing of Danzo and all the Council that was like a cancer, corroding Konoha from the inside out, they set out for their own tasks. Sakura wanted everything to be resolved soon because she would go crazy if she had to be locked for another week. She spent a lot of time trapped in the Uchiha base and then in that musty room, now she was a prisoner in her own apartment and that was stifling, the only good thing about it was Itachi's presence.

"You're dissatisfied." Itachi's voice echoed through the silent room.

"I'm just tired of being locked, I think." She walked to the bedroom and silently asked him to come with her. "Take off your shirt and lie down, please." She asked gently pointing at the bed.

Itachi smiled as he took off the knit shirt shortly after taking off the long-sleeved shirt. He approached her while he walked to the bed. "I thought I would have satisfied you the last night."

Sakura felt a shiver in the arm after he whispered in her ear and felt the cheeks heat. "I'll heal you, pervert."

Itachi laughed with the new nickname and he kissed her cheek, finding her incredibly beautiful all flushed. He lay on his stomach on the bed and sighed.

"I know you hate it, believe me, so do I. But we're almost done." Sakura reassured him as she pulled a chair and sat by the bed, placing her hands on his back.

"Then you'll start with my eyes." He murmured in a low voice.

Sakura smiled as she remembered all the scrolls with information about the sharingan she had in her apartment. "I'm going to study the scrolls I have and we can start as soon I have enough information."

"I have some scrolls from the clan, which contains a lot of information about the sharingan." Itachi said pointing to the wardrobe.

"Oh... that's even better." Sakura had forgotten for a while that Itachi was the heir of the clan and being a cautious person, he would have made sure not to leave any important information behind. She was not even surprised that he let her see the scrolls, he always trusted her blindly.

* * *

Hours later, Itachi got up from the bed and realized that it was early evening, he was grateful for the rest time he had after the healing session. He sat on the bed rubbing the eyes and felt a little anxiety at the thought of having his eyes working like when he was more younger. He looked at the bedside table and noticed a drawer in it, not caring about Sakura's privacy he opened it, finding her hitaiate.

Sakura was distracted on the living room floor with several books, papers and scrolls around her. "This is a mess."

She turned to see Itachi enter the living room with her hitaiate in the hand. "Is not, I just get a little excited when I'm steeped in research." She tapped the free space next to her, forcing him to sit down. "It's been a long time since I've used this." She took the ribbon from his hand.

"You used the ribbon I gave you to put your identifier." He said with the shadow of a smile on the lips.

"I thought so I would have a piece of you with me wherever I went." She laughed lightly. "Nonsense of a little girl."

He stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead where the seal was. "You always thought of me." He said.

She smiled. "I've always loved you, you know... Love has only changed over the years."

"From friend to lover." He said hoarsely over her lips.

"Don't tempt me." She whispered back. "You need a shower and I'll made you something to eat." She lifted herself off the floor and pulled him along, pushing into the bathroom as she ran to the bedroom to get clean clothes for him.

She entered the bathroom to leave the clothes in the sink and was drawn by the tempting sight through the almost transparent curtain. "You can join me." His voice awakened her from the daze she was in, making her realize that she had been in the same place for some time. Giving up completely of resist, Sakura remove her own clothes and walked toward him. The look on his face made her feel as if she could melt.

Itachi pulled her close, kissing her fiercely, pinning her against the wall before she could react. "You're so much beautiful." He whispered over the wet skin around the neck sending shivers down her spine.

"Tachi..." She whispered, gaining a growl from him. Sakura closed the eyes tightly, adoring to hear the possessive sounds he made whenever he touched her that way. She tangled the fingers in the long wet hair that was scattered around his back and scraped the nails at the nape making him moan weakly.

"Says." Itachi commanded when he linked his body to hers in one thrust, pleased to hear her scream.

"I love you." She whispered in his ear while she lost herself in the mist that flooded them.

* * *

Naruto took off the sweat-soaked shirt and lay down on the grass floor of the training camp, completely exhausted after a strenuous fight session. "Hey, how do you feel about him being back?"

Sasuke looked at the night sky as if the answers he wanted, would fall above him like rain. "I still don't know." He was still in doubt about how he really felt. Despite the relief of knowing that Itachi had done everything he did for the good of the village, the images he saw through Itachi's sharingan were consuming him and making him feel guilty for having hated his brother for so long and confused at the same time.

Naruto was surprised that he had received a sincere response when he expected a fit of sarcasm and decided to contribute sincerely too. "I don't like him so close to Sakura-chan." Naruto grumbled.

"They're together, Naruto." Sasuke said with a scowl.

"Do you think I'm idiot?" Naruto asked rhetorically.

"I'm sure you are." Sasuke replied without emotion.

"Oy, you bastard!" Naruto shouted back but then calmed down, not willing to start another fight when he was so tired. "I know they're together, it's just ... I just hoped she'd stay with us, after three years we have stayed away. You know, make up for lost time."

"It's not like she could leave the apartment and walk around." Sasuke sighed. "We just have to wait."

Naruto knew he was talking about waiting until Itachi's return was made public for everyone and soon after the Council reform was announced. All he could do was agree. He'd been away for three years, a few days would not be so bad.

"Are you okay with that, I mean, with that relationship between them?" Naruto turned the head to face him.

"I don't know." It was the only response Sasuke could give at that moment.

A shadow covered their faces, making them aware that they had company. "Hey boys, ready for more training?"

* * *

Obito walked through the empty corridors of Akatsuki's secret base in Ame. He knocked lightly on the door and entered the main room without waiting for an answer. He walked over to the table where Pain was with Konan on the side. When the eyes of the occupants of the room turned to him, he nodded politely. "Leader-sama, the prisoner ran away."

Pain's eyes narrowed with the news but he was silent. Konan took a deep breath and decided to break the silence in the room. "That's why we don't make prisoners." She murmured.

"Tell me you got the information about the jinchuuriki of nine-tails." Pain said completely without emotion.

Obito was not accustomed to failure since he was recruited by Uchiha Madara and had always felt victorious since he had persuaded Nagato to change Akatsuki's goals. Then that feeling of failure made him have annoying memories of his genin time, when he always lost to a certain arrogant teammate. All he was feeling was anger and frustration. "No and before giving the other information, I need to know if Itachi and Kisame have returned from the mission."

Konan took a step forward. "Kisame-san reported the success of the mission last night, Itachi-san went straight to the Uchiha base near the Fire country."

Obito nodded, allowing the information to sink. "Itachi ran away with the prisoner."

"Impossible." Konan declared in disbelief.

"All his belongings disappeared from the room he occupied at the Uchiha base and the prisoner was too weak to flee alone, I guaranteed her incapacity." Obito stated irritably with the obvious confidence that Itachi had conquered.

"If what you said is true, we need to locate him." Pain said after an awkward silence fell on the room. "If he had any connection with the prisoner, we run the risk of having our plans revealed to the Hidden Village of Konoha."

"Orochimaru deserted and never interfered in our plans." Konan intervened.

"Itachi isn't like Orochimaru. There's a possibility he's been working like a double agent all this time." Pain went to a bookcase and picked a scroll. "I think we'll have to change our plans."

"What do you mean by that?" Obito asked, really puzzled by the possibility of a change of plans. He could not afford to lose Nagato because he was the only way to bring Madara back.

"I need Zetsu to find Uchiha Itachi." Pain said to Konan. Then he turned to Obito. "You and Deidara need to capture the three tails, Hidan and Kakuzu go after Two Tails. If we don't hasten to capture the jinchuurikis, we'll end losing this war before it even gets a chance to start."

"We can't let that happen." Obito stated before going out the door to warn the others.

* * *

Itachi had a smile on the face as he sat in a chair before the table to dine on the food Sakura had prepared after the shower.

"You need to stop leaving those marks." Sakura grunted in annoyance as she cured the marks that were scattered around her neck.

"You continue healing them." He said carefree.

Sakura narrowed the eyes but decided to ignore it. "Tachi, do you think they'll come after you?" She asked uncertainly knowing he would understand what she meant.

"I'm sure so, it's only a matter of time." He replied quietly.

"Itachi." Sakura was obviously annoyed by his lack of concern.

Itachi sighed and put the hashis on the stand, giving all the attention to the beautiful girl sitting in front of him. "Saku-chan, I put a genjutsu on this building to keep us hidden since we got here. No one from Akatsuki will be able to enter Konoha without being detected by the protector jutsu beyond Uchiha Obito and I doubt it is he who will be assigned to hunt me anyway. You have nothing to worry about."

Sakura knew that he had used the nickname to appease her and even though he was so sure that Obito would not come, she was still apprehensive.

He put his hand over hers on the table. "Anyway, in two days all of the five nations, including the Akatsuki, will know that I'm here and that my loyalty has always belonged to Konoha."

She sighed knowing he was right. "I hope Naruto and Sasuke get stronger. A lot can happen in the next two days."

He nodded. "We should train a little, too."

She agreed. "I think it would be beneficial for everyone if I start to fix your eyes today."

A genuine smile arise in his face and Sakura felt satisfaction at being responsible for it.

* * *


	24. Reforms

Two days passed and Sakura had enough time to heal Itachi completely, the chakra paths as well his blood vessels were working perfectly giving him complete freedom to make jutsus that he could not have long ago. When he told her that it had never been so easy to breathe, Sakura felt an indescribable relief. She devoted the rest of the time she had to working on his eyes giving him a significant improvement but still not healing completely due to lack of time.

"You're completely healed now." Sasuke stated from the place lying on the mat carpet in Sakura's living room and Itachi could swear that there was relief in his voice.

"Hn." It was Itachi's answer from the place lying on the couch.

"Sakura said you want to teach me some sharingan techniques." Sasuke tried to contain the anxiety in his voice, but Itachi knew that there was more behind that stoic facade.

"If everything happens like planned today, tomorrow we can begin." Itachi stated.

Sasuke was glad Itachi was in a higher place, so he lost the gigantic smile that adorned his lips. "Hn." He nodded and stood, walking toward the glass door to the living room. "See you later, aniki." He said over the shoulder before leaving the apartment.

A few minutes later, Sakura entered through the front door, leaving the sandals at the entrance of the apartment. "All ready." She stated with a smile and Itachi nodded.

* * *

Naruto was restless pacing back and forth in Tsunade's office. "Are you going to calm down already?" She snapped irritably. "Your nervousness makes me even more nervous, brat."

"There are a lot of people gathered down there." Naruto sat in a chair in front of the desk but continued to thrash the feet frantically and Tsunade gave up rebuking him.

An ANBU agent entered the office through the window. "Everyone in your stations, Hokage-sama." He reported and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Okay, let's do this!" She said with determination. "Naruto, stay here, I don't want to take the risk of Danzo doing something against you with the intention of using you." She declared and left the office.

Naruto knew that if Danzo could get away from Konoha by taking some agents with him, it was very likely that he would try to kidnap him. Sakura had said that one of the scrolls she found had an emergency plan where Kyubi's possession was unavoidable. Everyone was shocked to learn that the sharingan was able to control the demon of nine tails and this gave many threats from Sasuke, which made Naruto want to kill him, but what surprised everyone was that Danzo had more than one sharingan.

Itachi had revealed that he stole Shisui's sharingan to completely prevent them from having any chance to prevent the Uchiha clan peacefully, which made it clear that Danzo's intention was to exterminate the clan, independent of the riot, because he saw the Uchihas like a threat.

The revelation of Danzo's plans caused Jiraya to drag Naruto to Mount Myoboku with the intention of teaching him to control the Kyubi before teaching him the Sanin mode. Naruto discovered belatedly that Kyubi answered by the name of Kurama and all this time hated humans for always being treated like a weapon. They were still in terms of animosity, but Naruto, being Naruto, would conquer the fox sooner or later. In one of the private conversations, Kurama revealed that the supposed Uchiha Madara, who everyone now knew to be Uchiha Obito, was the one who orchestrated the attack on Konoha using Kurama almost seventeen years ago.

Naruto rested in the chair, staring at the ceiling, waiting for Tsunade's speech to end so he could escape from that room.

* * *

Tsunade positioned on the parapet of the High Tower where she would make an announcement before all Konoha citizens, civilians and shinobi, and those who were not present would soon know the news.

"Everyone is here this morning for an important announcement." She said so loudly as she could, trying to hide the nervousness, but a wave of satisfaction flooded through her knowing she was getting rid of those filthy elders soon as she'd finished the speech. "It came to my attention a short time ago the real reason behind the massacre that decimated the Uchiha clan, leaving only two survivors, the author of the massacre and his younger brother. According to official records, I discovered that the massacre was ordered by the Council of Konoha and approved by the current Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who did not have much choice on the subject because he did not have the power to go against the whole Council, but this doesn't justify his actions in approving what was probably the most inhuman act held in Konoha."

She sighed and hoped from the bottom of her heart that people would not react negatively to what was to follow. "With this, I officially declare the author of the massacre, Uchiha Itachi, who was an elite shinobi, loyal to the desire of fire to the point of sacrificing his own clan in favor of preventing a riot that was being organized to overthrow the leaders of Konoha more than seven years ago. I come to clarify that Uchiha Itachi fulfilled an official order when carrying out the massacre, leaving completely free of fault of that act. Thus, Uchiha Itachi will be reinstated in Konoha and the active list starting today." Tsunade watched from the top, everyone's faces with open mouths and wide eyes after all she said.

She waited a few seconds for the information to sink completely and stepped aside, opening space for Itachi, who walked towards her and received a new hitaiate with the scroll that allowed him to officially return to Konoha.

Itachi tied the hitaiate over the forehead and pressed the scroll on his chest. He did not lose sight of how many gasped at the sight of him and how everyone's faces were obviously surprised, but he did not care about anything. It seemed almost unreal that he was back in home, officially free. With a bow to Tsunade and then a bow to the crowd, he left without looking back. Sending chakra to his ear he did not miss the sound of some shinobi calling him a hero.

Tsunade returned to the crowd that was muttering non-stop. "In addition to the order against the Uchiha clan, come to my notice, I must say very late, other heinous acts authorized and others even orchestrated by the Council and being the present Hokage of this Village I want to declare the current Council of Konoha broken, but to do this act I need your approval, please all who agree to the dissolution of the current Council of Konoha raise their hands." Tsunade felt the heart beat faster than it should have been. She feared that the people were against and if that happened, she would be deposed and Konoha would fall into Danzo's hands.

When the shinobi raised their hands, inciting the civilians to do the same, she let out a sigh without realizing that she was holding the breath until that moment. "Well, our Village will undergo a reform where a new Council of ethical people and truly loyal to the original desire of the fire created in the heart of my grandfather, First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, will be erected." With a salvo of applause she allowed herself a smile.

* * *

"Shishou just makes the announcement and we get the hard part." Sakura murmured to herself from the place hidden in a tall tree near the ANBU Root building.

"Don't complain, that's all your fault." Sai snapped, but Sakura saw the small smile on his lips.

"Ok, we received the confirmation." Kakashi stated on the radio communicator that he was trapped in the ear.

In a few seconds all the ANBU agents hiding in the shadows of the trees jumped into the building before them, entering through the windows that had been opened by ANBU Root agents who joined Tsunade's cause to overthrow Danzo and the Council.

After two years in the organization, Sakura and Yamato were able to discover that not all agents were loyal to Danzo, with the cruel teaching methods, the tortures applied on the agents that made foolish mistakes and the experiments that he allowed Orochumaru to do in many orphaned shinobi, Danzo got the hatred of many of them.

Before jumping into the building Sakura felt a hand around her arm. She looked back to meet Kakashi's lonely eye. "I'm proud of you." He said with an obvious smile hidden by the mask and before she could answer he jumped into the disappearing building among the shinobi crowd. She had never received a compliment from him during genin times and she would never admit it to anyone but the verbal recognition on his part made her feel capable.

Several masked shinobi ran through the corridors of the old building holding the shinobi that were still loyal to Danzo and could rebel against the reform decision that the Hokage announced a few minutes ago. Others were assigned to retrieve any object, log, book or scroll found on the premises.

Thanks to Sai and other members who grew up inside those dark walls the ANBU agents were able to check every passage hidden by seals and genjutsus, revealing torture rooms and abandoned lodgings that were used as a repository for experiments that were not in the approved official Konoha records by the Hokage or the Daimyo.

After half an hour of operation, the building was completely empty of objects and people. While some shinobi ran with boxes toward the Hokage Tower, another party stood in the courtyard behind the old building waiting for instructions.

Kakashi walked toward the row of masked officers who were kneeling and handcuffed with other agents behind each to prevent any attempt to escape. "Where is he?"

"They can't talk even if they want to." Sai intervened and held out his tongue to Kakashi where there was a seal.

"That bastard." Genma grunted beneath the white, blue mask that covered the face.

Sakura jumped onto the patio at that exact moment. "Taichou." She ran toward Kakashi.

"Kitsune-chan." He gave her the permission to report.

"Ki-san and I found a passage under the main office that was apparently destroyed just after an escape." There are only three people missing all over the active list: Shimura Danzo, Aburame Torune and Yamanaka Fū." Sakura reported trying to keep hidden all the hatred she was feeling when she learned that Danzo had managed to escape.

Kakashi nodded and even though Sakura could not see his face, she knew he was as frustrated like she was. He made a seal known to all and summoned his pack of ninken, sending the eight dogs to find the fugitives.

"There is some possibility he knows about our plan of action?" Genma asked irritably.

"Impossible." Kakashi said for sure. "He certainly had an escape plan if something like that happened." He sighed in frustration. "All right, take all the agents to the Intelligence Division." He ordered.

"What will happen to us?" One of the shinobi being lifted from the floor asked wihout emotion.

"All the information we need about Danzo and Root will be taken from your minds, Yamanaka Inoichi is able to extract information without pain. Then you will be redirected to ANBU, responding directly to the Hokage." Kakashi explained.

"Wait, will not we be executed?" Another shinobi asked in surprise.

"Or tortured?" A boy who should not have been more than thirteen years old asked incredulously.

"You need to learn that the methods used by Danzo aren't approved by Senju Tsunade." Kakashi stated and left without looking back.

"It's over." Sai put a hand on the shoulder of the boy who did not have time to put the mask to hide his face. "Everything will be different now." Sai smiled genuinely to see the boy's face change from stoic to almost surprised or what he could express anyway, being trained from a child to never showing emotions.

"We finish here." Yamato screamed, warning everyone to return to the Hokage Tower.

* * *

The main squadron was gathered inside Tsunade's office. Naruto was restless still sitting in the chair with the feet on the floor swinging frantically like if this gesture would calm him. Tsunade was sitting biting the thumbnail with Shizune next to her holding the key of the beverage cabinet tightly hidden. Sakura was near the window with Sasuke and Itachi on either side.

"So... the old freak ran away." Naruto broke the deadly silence that hung over the room.

"Hai." Sakura confirmed.

"Where's Hatake not coming back soon?" Tsunade cried out without patience.

"Hokage-sama." Kakashi's muffled voice echoed through the room as if he was waiting to be mentioned to make his presence known. "My pack have the location." He placed a small paper on the table with what appeared to be coordinates.

Tsunade nodded. "Keep your pack alert for his trail, we can't lose him, but before we go on a hunt to death, we need a plan. I don't believe, even for a second, that he is willing to give up Konoha or his precious organization, much less of his own life." She leaned back in the chair and sighed.

"Are not we going to hunt him, now?" Sasuke asked with a twinge of desperation in the voice.

"Did you see the same scroll that I see? Did you see how he has more sharingans in one arm than you and your brother have together?" She retaliated with the same desperation.

"We take care of him." Sasuke snapped and there was no arrogance in his voice, just a certainty and thirst for justice.

Tsunade looked between him and Itachi for a few seconds, but for all the occupants of the room it seemed as if it were hours. She stood up and folded the arms staring at them seriously. "You're precious active to Konoha, that man committed heinous acts just to get the hands on his clan's kekkei genkai, do you think I would be wise to send two bearers of the sharingan directly to him?"

"Hokage-sama." Itachi took a step forward from Sasuke. "We'll return alive and with our sharingans intact."

Tsunade knew that if anyone could stop Danzo it would be Itachi and she knew he would die before Danzo could get the hands on Sasuke's sharingan or his. Reluctantly she nodded. "But you'll have reinforcement." She replied trying to keep her tone cool and calculating.

"Sakura will be the medic on this mission." She stared at her apprentice with narrowed eyes. "You'll be the medic-nin on this mission, Sakura. No matter how your precious Uchiha is in danger you'll not enter into the confrontation." She glanced briefly at Itachi who kept his face blank, making Tsundade wondering what Sakura had seen in him beyond the obvious beauty, when the boy showed no emotion.

Sakura stared at the floor for a few seconds trying to absorb the information. "Hai." She said weakly.

"It's an order, Sakura." Tsunade said firmly and breathed a sigh of relief when Sakura stared at her and nodded firmly.

"Sai, Shiranui and Hatake will be the backups. You'll cover if there is an attempt to escape the targets and you'll send a reinforcement request if something goes wrong before it gets out of hand." She watched when the three of them stepped in front of her and covered their faces with ANBU masks.

"Yamato, you'll stay here taking care of Naruto." She put the hand on his shoulder. "I know this is the hardest job-" She ignored Naruto's protests echoing around the room. "But we need you to stop him from leaving Konoha and protect him if Danzo sends someone to kidnap him."

"I'm right here, you know ?!" Naruto snorted indignantly at being treated like a child and not being able to participate in the action.

"Dismissed." Tsunade screamed and sat back in the chair. She glanced at Shizune and held out an hand. "I need that key now."

* * *

"According to Pakkun, he's in an underground building." Kakashi stated how much they jumped through the branches of the forest.

"Probably a Orochimaru's base." Sakura added.

"Because of this man, Orochimaru entered and left Konoha so easily." Sasuke said with obvious irritation, running the hand over the mark that was still on his neck.

"Let's get him over down, then we can end Orochimaru, too." Itachi tried to reassure Sasuke, but his tone was the same cold and unemotional as ever.

"Tachi, if one of them shows up what will we do?" Sakura asked as she moved closer to stand beside him.

"Who are you talking about, Sakura?" Sasuke asked before Itachi could respond.

"If an Akatsuki member appears, all you return to Konoha and send reinforcements." He stated hoping he would have answered their questions at the same time.

"I'll not leave you alone." Sakura and Sasuke both said at the same time, making a small smile adorn Itachi's face.

"Then, we'll face any enemy that comes, together." He said firmly and raised the chakra in his feet to gain speed.

* * *

After a relatively short trip to the border between the Fire Country and the Sound Country, they arrived at the place mentioned by Pakkun. "Is here." Kakashi stated as they landed in a clearing surrounded by high rock walls.

Sai unrolled a scroll and drew some rats, using the tracking jutsu to make sure the enemy was actually there. Less than two minutes later some rats returned. "They're here."

"Where?" Kakashi asked impatiently, looking around to seeing only rocky mountains.

"Genjutsu." Itachi and Sasuke said at the same time.

Sakura nodded and walked a few steps forward using some seals to undo the elaborate genjutsu that hid a small gap between the rocks. "Same used in his office. Efficient but not impenetrable."

"It's not just a pretty face." Genma intentionally irritated her.

Sakura flashed her tongue at him in an obviously childlike manner.

"You cover." Itachi walked toward the opening Sakura revealed, giving an intimidating glance toward Genma just to warn him that she was off limits. He looked at Sasuke who nodded and followed.

Sakura ran and stood next to Itachi walking toward the dark cave. "You stay." He said seriously.

"No way." She retorted stubbornly. "I'm the medic on this mission, remember ?!" She declared.

"I'll send Kuro to you if anything happens." He said in a tone that clearly indicated that the conversation was over.

Sakura looked at him for a few seconds, opening her mouth a few times without finding the right words to reply.

"Sakura, it's okay." Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"Hai." She whispered and looked down at her feet with an annoying squeeze on the chest. A few seconds later when she looked up they had disappeared into the darkness of the cave.

* * *


	25. Deserved End

Itachi and Sasuke activated the sharingan to see into the darkness of the cave. Itachi was feeling an emotion that he did not feel for a long time as he walked beside his brother while wearing an ANBU uniform and the hitaiate without a risk on the symbol that represented his home.

They walked silently, following one of the rats Sai sent, who was leading them directly to the enemy. After a few minutes walking down a stone-walled corridor faintly lit by torches on the walls indicating that this place was inhabited by someone. And if what Sakura said about this place being one of Orochimaru's hidden bases, they could find much more than just an enemy.

The rat ran down the long corridor and as it went ahead hit something that made it turn a puddle of paint. Sasuke looked at Itachi out of the corner of his eye. "Barrier."

Itachi nodded and took a step forward touching the place where the rat tapped, feeling his hand burn instantly. Sasuke looked at his brother's hand, which was now red with a slight burn. "We should have brought Sakura."

Itachi ignored Sasuke and made the same hand seals Sakura had previously made, undoing the barrier before them to reveal an scenery completely different from what they were seeing previously. Itachi walked a little faster than before, still not saying a word, irritated by Sasuke wanting to put Sakura in an obviously senseless danger situation, after all he speech of wanting to protect her at all costs when they first talked in her room.

They came across two paths and before he could decide to separate a voice echoed through the corridors. "Konoha is recruiting enemies now?" Itachi recognized that voice even after so many years without hearing it.

"Pff." Sasuke snorted with obvious irritation. "You're the only enemy of Konoha."

Sasuke and Itachi turned to face Danzo who had two shinobi in front of him for protection and Itachi thought it appropriate, to hide behind the others as he always did.

"Let's end this." Itachi declared completely unwilling to prolong the inevitable.

* * *

"I didn't think you were the kind of man to reveal your secrets, Itachi." Danzo said before giving the order to Torune and Fū to attack.

To Danzo's complete surprise, Itachi smiled. He would not say that a beautiful pink-haired kunoichi was the one who revealed his secrets, this man had no claim to know anything about his precious Sakura.

Torune was the first to advance towards the Uchiha brothers and Itachi remembered seeing him fight once in his ANBU's days, recognizing the shinobi as a member of the Aburame clan, both Itachi and Sasuke realized that the kunais he sent was only a distraction, while Fū skirted both.

Sasuke looked at Itachi and pointed at the redhead shinobi. "Yamanaka."

Itachi nodded, remembering that Yamanaka Clan's specialty was mind control and felt almost pity for the man who thought that getting into the head of an Uchiha was a good strategy.

Sasuke dodged the kunais thrown by Torune and struck Fū with a kick strong enough to send him to the wall, pleased with the blow he jumped to stand next to Itachi as they watched briefly Danzo undoing a gold clasp that was visibly heavy, releasing the right arm to reveal the atrocity they had seen earlier on one of the scrolls that Sakura had recovered.

"I'll take care of Aburame." Itachi whispered to Sasuke that he nodded and ran toward Fū who was standing up and heading toward him.

Sasuke kept the sharingan activated while keeping his focus from falling into the opponent's jutsu, the last thing he wanted was another person inside his head.

Sasuke dodged a few kunais and realized that Fū was trying to get past him and go to the shinobi who was fighting with Itachi, making him conclude that the two were trained to work together which made sense since the Yamanaka's ability would him completely vulnerable after invading the mind of the enemy, he vaguely remembered Ino's fight against Sakura years ago. Enjoying that the opponent's focus was beyond him, Sasuke run against him, pleased as Fū stared him directly in the eyes.

He trapped Fū in a painful genjutsu he learned from Kakashi, in the three years they spent away from home in training, smiling with satisfaction when he saw the opponent's flaccid body fall with a thud on the stone floor. "One less." He stated with an arrogant smile.

When Sasuke looked at his brother he saw one of Itachi's arms turning purple and knew that the small contraction in his eye indicated that he was in a lot of pain despite not showing. "Aniki." He took a step toward them.

"Stay away, Sasuke." Itachi commanded knowing that these insects could easily migrate from host with a minimal approximation. With an angry face Itachi kicked his opponent hard enough to knock him down causing him to spit blood. Internally Itachi was cursing himself for letting that man touch him for a thousandth of a second.

Sasuke looked horrified as the purple patch on Itachi's arm grew more every second.

Itachi walked over to Torune and knelt before him, burying a kunai on his shoulder, slowly. Focusing on the handle of the kunai so that no insects would walk through it and touch him again. "Undo." Itachi ordered with obvious irritation.

"No." Torune said almost out of breath, spitting some blood while speaking.

Sasuke watched Itachi's jaw tighten as he stared at his opponent and watched impressed when after a few seconds the masked shinobi touched Itachi's arm with one finger, making the purple stain disappear.

"How you persuaded him to betray me." Danzo's voice sounded obviously annoyed, but he did not move from where he was to interfere in the fights.

"Few seconds captive in my Tsukuyomi may be like days or months." He raised, leaving Torune unconscious on the floor. "I was generous with him." He declared arrogantly. "My fury will be directed to a person who truly deserves it." He stepped toward Danzo who tried to maintain a stoical facade.

Danzo gasped as he felt Itachi's hand on his neck and almost suppressed relief as he stared into a pair of dark eyes instead of red. "Don't think it will be fast." Itachi whispered darkly.

* * *

Itachi was very curious to know what that arm made with the cells of the first hokage, covered with sharingans of his ancestors who deserved to rest in peace, was able to do. He knew he needed to be wary of this man who might be sneakier than Orochimaru if he wanted to, but it did not matter because Itachi did not lower the guard except when he was entangled in Sakura's body.

Danzou took a kunai, strategically hidden and sank it into Itachi's chest. He watched, not very surprised, when a smile adorned Itachi's lips and a crow came out of his mouth, in a few seconds the body before him became several red-eyed crows that flew down the dimly lit corridor while the sounds macabre that the crows emitted, echoed through the stone walls making Danzo take a step back unconsciously.

When the crows disappeared, Danzo looked to the hall to see Itachi and Sasuke a few feet away. He looked at Itachi's younger brother and understood that it was the only advantage he had. When Itachi activated the sharingan he understood that he did not have much time, now that Torune and Fū was out of combat he would be without coverage and face Uchiha Itachi was not in his plans.

Danzo ran toward the pair, dodging the fallen bodies on the ground with a kunai wielded toward the brothers who easily deflected from the attack. Sasuke slid down the hallway and felt a hand trailing the back of his neck.

Itachi narrowed the eyes when he realized belatedly that Danzo had used a genjutsu to distract them. He would never admit that he was impressed by Danzo's ability to create a genjutsu that went unnoticed by two legitimate users of the sharingan and wondered what kinds of macabre experiences that man had made in the eyes that occupied his right arm.

Danzo smirked as he felt Sasuke's flesh on his fingers. The satisfaction lasted little and then a sharp pain hit him and he watched in horror as Itachi unsheathed the katana that was stuck in the back and cut his left hand without hesitation.

A sound of something falling echoed for the hallway and Sasuke stepped back from the attacker and looked back from a safe distance to see the hand that was gripping his neck, now lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Itachi took short steps toward Danzo who had the arm cradled against his chest and Itachi admired the fact that the man made no sound of discontent after having a limb pulled out. "I told you once to keep hands away from Sasuke."

Danzo looked at Itachi with obvious aversion and narrowed the eyes toward Sasuke, making a movement with his right hand, in what Itachi understood to be the attempt of a seal using only one hand.

"Aniki." Sasuke said weakly before looking at Itachi with a twinge of desperation in his features while several black lines appeared on Sasuke's foot, rising over his body, creating a seal that held him in place.

Danzo looked at Sasuke with contempt as he tried to move uselessly. "Why did you find necessary to save him, Itachi?"

Itachi huffed annoyed that Danzo had the audacity to insult his brother so blatantly in front of him. He walked toward Sasuke and stood behind him staring at Danzo.

A thick and obviously powerful chakra invaded the whole place and Sasuke watched with obvious amazement as Itachi's chakra grew exponentially, creating an armor around them, breaking the roof of the cave as the red giant made of chakra grew, Sasuke felt the seal dissipating on account of the chakra and he was freed from the imprisonment where he was sealed by Danzo.

* * *

Sakura felt a change in the ground with a slight tremor, she looked at Kakashi silently asking if he was feeling the powerful chakra emanating from inside the cave where Sasuke and Itachi were. Before she could formulate the question that stuck in her throat, Sai pulled her by the waist, jumping with her to a safe distance from the cave entrance.

Kakashi and Genma jumped right next to them and they stared at a giant warrior of armor made of red chakra, emerging from the cave while the stones flew all over the place.

"Susano'o?" Sakura asked in horror and Kakashi nodded.

Every Konoha ninja heard about the Susano'o in Academy classes where they were taught about the epic fight between Madara and Hashirama in the End's Valley, but none of them expected to see a giant warrior made of pure chakra before the eyes.

"Itachi." Sakura whispered to herself with obvious disbelief and a twinge of pride and admiration.

* * *

"How?" Sasuke asked incredulously.

"That's one of the techniques I want to show you when you wake the Mangekyou sharingan, little brother." Itachi replied.

Itachi used the hand of Susano'o to pick up Danzo and bring him so he could look him in the eye. "Is over." The chakra giant closed the hand squeezing Danzo until him became a pool of blood.

Itachi undid the Susano'o and walked with Sasuke toward the others. Suddenly Itachi pushed Sasuke away and unsheathed the sword gaining a curious look from Sasuke. In response Itachi inclined the head and Sasuke looked where he was pointing to see Danzo live in the debris of what used to be one of Orochimaru's underground bases.

"Stay." Itachi said to Sasuke before dodging toward Danzo.

Itachi noticed that one eye on Danzo's right arm had closed. Before he could get close enough, Danzo used the last card in the sleeve, Itachi felt his feet being grabbed by something and looked down at the ground to see tree roots pinning his feet firmly against the ground. Angered by Danzo's thinking that this would be enough to stop him, Itachi threw a set of shurikens, fast enough that he could not divert and heard the sound of the shirikens slamming into the opponent's body.

They all stared in amazement as Danzo's body, which had just been hit by the shurikens, disappeared and reappeared completely unharmed except for the missing hand in front of Itachi who was still trapped by the roots in the ground.

"Izanagi." Itachi murmured without emotion seeing another eye on Danzo's arm closing, realizing that he was using a doujutsu forbidden by the Uchiha Clan, for having the ability to control space and time in exchange for an immense amount of chakra, reversing his death. Annoyed at being trapped and tired of all this unnecessary struggle Itachi almost snorted at Danzo's naivety for being so close to him, no fear. "Your arrogance will be your downfall." Itachi held out the right hand, too fast to Danzo to divert, holding his face, forcing him to stare into his eyes.

Itachi held Danzo in a cell surrounded by thorns inside the Tsukuyomi, where Shishui and other Uchihas were waiting for him with smiles on their faces. Itachi does not have to use heinous methods to beat an opponent, like Izanagi's forbidden technique that Danzo used. The Tsukuyomi could easily manipulate space and time without costing the entire chakra he possessed.

The roots of his feet loosened as Danzo dropped to his legs before him.

Itachi knew that one minute that caught Danzo in the Tsukuyomi would have been enough for the cruel man to pay for at least half the sins he made. After a few seconds he looked at Sasuke as if asking permission to end the suffering of the man who had a terrified look on face.

"We should take him to Konoha." Genma stated when, him, Kakashi, Sai and Sakura landed next to Sasuke who was only a few feet away from Itachi.

"He deserves what's coming to him." Sasuke declared with hatred.

"If we take him back the other members of the Council can find a way to release him." Sakura said, knowing very well the manipulation capacity of the other members of the Council.

Itachi heard the conversation and when Sasuke looked at him and shook the head as if begging him to do, Itachi waved back and placed the katana on the man's stomach that without hesitation gave the order that changed the Uchiha's life forever.

Before the others approached, he looked into Danzo's eyes and broke the Tsukuyomi causing the man to gasp and bow with pain. When Danzo raised the head to face him, Itachi murmured the words that made Danzo's eyes widen in disbelief and dread. "Amaterasu." He said darkly, feeling a tear of blood drip from the left eye, falling down his face, staining the clear and perfect skin. When the drop of blood fell on the stone floor, he turned and walked toward the others, leaving Danzo screaming in agony as he was burned alive by the black flames of the kekkei genkai he longed for so much of his miserable life.

* * *

Kakashi and Genma found the bodies of Torune and Fū that were crushed by the rocks, then sealed the two so that they had a burial in Konoha.

The drive home was silent and Sakura stayed behind with Sai, Genma and Kakashi, choosing to let Itachi and Sasuke spend some time together now that this part of their past had been literally burned.

A chakra that Itachi knew very well approached them at a distance, causing the whole squadron to stop in a clearing. Sakura looked at Itachi with wide eyes and saw Itachi was suddenly tense as he realized who Akatsuki had sent to him.

"Why you?" Itachi asked as Kisame stepped out of a tree with a usual smile on his face.

"Leader-sama didn't send me." Kisame responded, taking a few steps toward the Konoha's ninjas who took defensive positions , except Itachi and Sakura.

"Hey, big guy." Sakura greeted with an amused smile.

"Little one." Kisame replied with a tone of amusement like hers.

Itachi folded the arms over ANBU's armor and nodded, indicating that Kisame could tell why he was there.

"Leader-sama told us that you defected and that you probably worked for Konoha as a double agent all this time." Kisame took a few more steps toward Itachi. "Don't worry, I didn't tell him you were loyal until your girl showed up and turned your head."

Itachi clutched the tip of his nose in frustration, knowing he could not deny that everything that brought him back to Konoha had to do with Sakura. "Kisame." Itachi said his name in a warning tone that Kisame knew very well.

"Right." Kisame laughed. "Leader-sama sent Zetsu to you, a few hours ago he reported that you were always loyal to Konoha and that the Hokage made an interesting announcement this morning."

"They conclude that I really was a double agent, infiltrated in the organization." Itachi concluded.

Kisame shook the head in denial. "Tobi said you weren''t a double agent."

"Tobi?" Sakura screamed before she could stop herself.

Kisame looked at her. "Tobi said he was absolutely sure that Itachi joined the organization willing to leave everything behind, but everything collapsed when you were tortured." Kisame turned to Itachi. "Well, everyone knows now that you've come home with the little girl here."

"I'll show you the little girl." Sakura murmured irritably, earning a laugh from Kisame.

"Kisame, the real reason." Itachi said impatiently.

"Oh yeah..." He stroked the chin in thought. "Leader-sama will attack your village in a few days."

Itachi nodded absorbing new information, then he looked at Kisame. "Arigato." He said with genuine gratitude.

Kisame smiled widely and threw the big sword over his broad shoulder. "See you." He said over his shoulder before disappearing into the trees.

Sakura looked at Itachi with a wide smile. "Loyal to the organization, huh?" She mocked.

"Hn." Itachi murmured and Sakura saw the shadow of a smile on her lover's beautiful lips.

"That was weird." Genma stated as they started walking toward Konoha again.

"So much." Sai nodded.

"We have to report to the Hokage about this possible attack." Kakashi stated. "If Akatsuki intends to attack Konoha we need to be ready."

"Only Pain will come." Itachi interrupted. "If Kisame said that Leader-sama will attack, only he will come." He explained calmly. "Konan will certainly come with him." He added thoughtfully.

"Konan?" Sakura asked curiously.

"She is the leader's right arm." Itachi reported as they jumped through the branches.

"She?" Sakura repeated. "Is there a woman in Akatsuki?" She asked.

Itachi nodded and did not miss the way her eyes sparkled with something he knew very well, jealousy.

Sakura saw the smile that adorned his face, knowing he was intentionally teasing her. "Uchiha Itachi." She warned.

Sasuke looked at the pair in front of him, watching the strange exchange of glances. He noticed the thick anger emanating from Sakura and the fun on his older brother's face made him even more curious.

"She's a capable kunoichi." Itachi said in a sweet voice.

"I didn't ask anything." Sakura replied.

She kept hopping over the branches without looking at him, trying to accelerate enough to gain distance, but he was much faster than her. "You never said there was a girl there." She said with obvious irritation, realizing that it was useless to try to run away from him. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw the amusement on his face. She knew he wanted to tease her as she always did and heard inner screams deep in her mind.  **"Two can play this game."**  Inner screamed angrily.

Hearing her second personality, she sped as fast as she could, moving away from Itachi.

"Hey pretty girl." Genma said with a smile as Sakura stood beside him, his smile turned into a wolf smile as she smiled and winked at him back.

Itachi jumped up beside her and held her hand tightly. "Sakura." He said through gritted teeth, annoyed that she tried to turn the table in such a brazen way.

"What?" She said petulantly as she looked at him with raised eyebrows with challenge burning in the green eyes.

"You guys are ridiculous." Sasuke said as he passed them.

"Shut up." Sakura screamed angrily.

"Oh." Kakashi exclaimed as if he understood everything. "She is jealous."

"I hate you." She said looking at Kakashi and jumped away from them as the male shinobi laughed at her expense.

Itachi managed to keep the laugh that wanted to escape and jumped toward her. Before accelerating he looked into Genma's eyes with the sharingan activated. "Stay away from her." He murmured darkly, realizing that the look he had given before had not been threatening enough. Satisfied when he saw the shinobi bite the senbon in his mouth with more force than should have, he ran faster to reach a very irritated Sakura.


	26. Her Parents

Sakura calmed down enough to heal the burn in Itachi's hand and analyze the damage done to his eye by the use of the Amaterasu before they reached the village.

"Why do you tease her if you knows she'll be irritated?" Sai asked looking at Itachi and Genma slapped the forehead with the boy's lack of subtlety.

A smile adorned the corner of Itachi's lips but he did not respond.

"It's his favorite hobby." Sakura said with obvious irritation as she sent chakra a little too hot for his eyes, making him whistle.

"Sakura can be very violent when she's angry." Sai said.

"I know." Itachi replied, wishing could open the eyes and look to her.

Sai looked to Itachi curiously. "I didn't know you were a masochist. It's a really peculiar taste."

"Aniki." Sasuke screamed outraged, hoping his brother denied, but when there was only silence he became even more indignant.

"Or maybe you're a sadist." Sai continued, ignoring the deadly gaze he was receiving from Sakura and Sasuke. "I haven't seen Sakura hitting you like she does with all of us, so you just like teasing her like preli-"

"Sai." Sakura interrupted him with a frighteningly sweet look. "You can continue your conclusions and suffer the consequences or you can be silent for the rest of the way to home and arrive intact."

He opened his mouth, but closed again, thinking seriously about her proposal. "I'll pick the second."

"Wise decision." Sakura smiled at him.

* * *

"So you don't have Danzo's body?" Tsunade asked. When she received a collective nod. "Alright, that makes things easier for me." She sat in the wide chair looking at everyone in her living room. "I have some not-so-good news."

Before anyone could speak she continued. "The two remaining members of the Council sought shelter in Daimyo's house."

"What does that mean?" Kakashi was the first to have the courage to ask.

"It means they can appeal about the Council reform decision." She said through gritted teeth.

"But there was a public assembly, you made the decision with the support of the people of Konoha." Sakura intervened.

"And we have this in our favor, but he may decide that he'll keep the same members on the Council and only allow me to add one or two members of my choice." Tsunade replied with a frustrated sigh.

"So that was all for nothing?" Naruto shouted indignantly.

"Think again, Naruto. Having a few members of my confidence within the Council equals things and we won an ally that deserved a second chance." She pointed to Itachi reminding Naruto why all this started..

When no one else said anything, she sighed. "Torune and Fū can have their burials worthy, I'll declare officially that they have attacked shinobi from their own village, that justifies their deaths. For anyone to ask, Danzo disappeared after the operation of Root's headquarters. Since no one has deigned to inform me about important subjects surrounding this Village, I'll take the liberty of doing the same for what suits me." She said the last part with disdain.

"I thought things would be easier." Sakura said an obvious disappointment.

"Me too." Tsunade agreed. "I have a reunion with Daimyo this afternoon to talk about the massacre against the Uchiha Clan, he'll not accept the fact that the Council approved this easily, after all he was an old friend of Uchiha Fugaku."

"My father?" Itachi asked in a surprised tone and Tsunade almost gasped at the signal of some emotion in his voice for the first time.

Tsunade nodded. "I hope he decides to condemn those two old men according to their actions." She looked at everyone in the room. "Anything else?" She asked.

"I got a visit from my partner at Akatsuki as we came back home." Itachi stated seriously. "According to him, Pain intends to attack Konoha in a few days."

Tsunade got up from the chair and leaned against the window sill looking at Konoha. "Uzumaki Nagato will come to us. This can make things easier." She smiled as if she had received some good news.

* * *

While they walked along the corridor of the Hokage Tower, Sakura looked at Itachi out of the corner of her eye. "You can go to home first, I have to see my parents now that I can move freely again."

Itachi stopped walking, making her stop and look at him curiously. "I want to meet them." He said seriously and when she did not respond. "Officially." He concluded.

"You- What?" She stammered with wide eyes hoping he was not saying what she thought he was.

Itachi took a step to stand before her. The two were completely unaware that everyone in the room with them previously now stopped in the hallway to look at the exchange. Naruto was pulling Sasuke's sleeve with wide eyes in complete disbelief as Sasuke was completely still. Kakashi nudged Jiraya, both with a smile on their face. Genma, Shizune, Yamato and Sai blinked in complete silence, waiting to see the unfolding of that interesting scene happening before them.

"Itachi?" Sakura managed to mumble after a few minutes.

He took her right hand and kissed it sweetly. "I want to meet your parents, Sakura." He repeated and this time there was an arrogant smile planted on his lips.

Sakura did not know if he would ask her to be her boyfriend or anything else, but the fact of introducing him to her parents made her stomach turn and she did not know why. He had been officially forgiven in front of the whole village, she loved him with all her heart and they were living together for some days now, but they did not have time to talk about the future and she was uncertain about what awaited them. Against all the strange feelings that were consuming her, she nodded. "Yes, but please don't frighten them."

He smiled warmly at her making everyone except Sasuke gasp at the sight of him making such a different expression. Sakura and Itachi looked at the audience in the hallway. "Are not you ashamed to spy on a private conversation?" Sakura asked with indignation.

"None." Naruto and Jiraya responded at the same time.

"You shouldn't have private conversations in a public place." Shizune said cheeks reddened at being scolded for spying.

"Are you getting married?" Sai asked as Sakura's eyes widened.

"No." Sakura shouted.

When she felt Itachi's eyes burning holes in her, she looked to him. "No, soon?" She said weakly seeing that he had a deadly expression on his face. "No... today?" She whispered.

"Let's meet your parents." Itachi said firmly, pulling her for the hall, past the onlookers.

* * *

The way home from her parents was silent but she knew he was angry and she had no idea why. She knocked on the front door and opened it immediately, removing her sandals and leaving in the entrance, she took a few steps and looked over her shoulder to see that Itachi had taken off the sandals and was following silently down the aisle. "Mommy, I'm home." Sakura yelled.

Mebuki looked to the daughter with a smile on her face before direct a curious glance at the companion of Sakura. "The Uchiha boy." Mebuki said before smiling to him too.

Itachi gave Sakura an interrogative look, but before she could clarify, she was interrupted for an bear hug by her father.

Kizashi released Sakura after a long time and looked to Itachi. "Oh, little Sasuke-kun grew up." He smiled, squeezing Itachi's cheek, causing Sakura to gasp at his father's daring action. "Where's the noisy little brat?" Kizashi asked looking between Sakura and Itachi who was still frozen without knowing how to react.

"Dad, Naruto's somewhere out there and this one..." She pointed to Itachi. "Is not Sasuke."

"What?" Kizashi had a completely confused face and Itachi immediately realized who Sakura had inherited the ability to be so expressive. "He looks like an Uchiha."

Sakura sighed. "Because he's one." She whispered softly and pushed her father to sit on the dining table as she pulled Itachi with the other hand. "Mom." She called as she sat next to Itachi and in front of her father.

"I'll serve the dinner in an instant." Mebuki yelled from inside the kitchen.

"Alright, you can hear from there." Sakura yelled back. She cleared the throat. "Dad, mom, this is Uchiha Itachi, my... boyfriend?" She looked at Itachi realizing that she had used the title without questioning him before, but relaxed when she saw a small smile adorn the corner of his lips.

They heard the noise of what looked like glass falling to the floor and Kizashi jumped up from the chair. Sakura wondered if the scare was the noise or knowing that her daughter was involved with what until yesterday was one of the most dangerous missing ninjas in the entire earth, known by both ninjas and civilians.

"I don't think you guys left the house today." Sakura said a little uncertainly.

Mebuki appeared in the dining room with a pale face. "Is that some kind of joke?" She asked incredulously.

Sakura sighed. "You sure didn't leave the house today." She grunted. "Itachi was exonerated of the blame for the massacre this morning. Tsunade-shishou made an official announcement absolving him." She clarified quickly, fearing that her mother would collapse on the floor.

Mebuki walked to the table, sitting next to her husband in front of Itachi. "That's what all the talk in the market was about." She said in an almost relieved tone. "I heard something about a killer being acquitted after spending years of isolation unjustly, something like him being a Konoha hero."

"That's what they call me now?" Itachi said for the first time since entering the house and Sakura noticed the pang of humor in his voice, but for any other his voice was completely cold and unemotional.

"I confess I always thought when this day came, you would introduce that boy, Sasuke, as your boyfriend." Kizashi said as he scratched his chin and Sakura saw a small contraction in Itachi's eye with obvious irritation over the comment.

Mebuki ignored her husband's comment and stared at Itachi with brazen scrutiny. "You were the only one who took care of my Sakura." She stated with certainty and Itachi made an expression that seemed almost intrigued by that affirmation.

Mebuki snorted with a sneer. "Now boy, you can be an elite shinobi, as you ninjas liked call, but I'm a mother." She stated with great pride making Sakura suppress a giggle. "You think I didn't know all the time that you jumped for the window of her room and put her to bed, or when she got sick and you took care of her when I and this old senile, couldn't because of work."

"Wait, there was a kid sneaking into my little doll's room and you knew and did nothing about it?" Kizashi asked in complete disbelief, keeping the comment that he was an old senile to discuss later.

"Hn." Misaki grunted and Itachi thought this woman could be an Uchiha easily if she changed the color of her eyes and hair. "I only allowed their friendship because he seemed to be older than she and after he taught her to defend against those damn brats who pestered Sakura, she seemed much happier."

"I told you about him once." Sakura contributed timidly, remembering to tell them about Itachi the first time she met him in the forest..

"Don't expect much from the memory of an old senile, my princess." Kizashi said sweetly towards Sakura and a look of disgust to Mebuki at the same time.

Sakura looked between them and laughed. "These are my parents, Tachi." She told Itachi that he had a completely amused look on his face.

* * *

Dinner continued as usual in the Haruno's house, with Kizashi filling Itachi with questions about life away from the Village, which he answered cordially without revealing any dark secrets and Sakura was grateful that no one mentioned the massacre to the clan for a second. Although she knew her mother would do a complete questionnaire when given the chance.

When Mebuki served the dessert that to Itachi's delight was several dangos, Kizashi picked the tray that Itachi was looking with obvious desire and lifted from the table. "Follow me, young man." The man declared as he walked out the sliding door into the backyard of the house.

Kizashi walked silently to a wooden bench that was far enough away so that the women could not hear whatever was said between them, placing the tray next to him, he motioned for Itachi to sit down, which he did. Itachi was grateful for the tray being between them, making easier to access.

Kizashi pointed, indicating that he could eat freely and Itachi did not wait even a second before picking a stick. "Sakura is a peculiar girl." He said quietly as he stared to the starry sky. "She gives in completely when she falls in love with something." He looked to Itachi who stared back at him and nodded.

Itachi did not know where the man wanted to go with that conversation but waited patiently as he took advantage of the sweetness of the dango that Mebuki prepared divinely, he thought.

"You must be thinking where I want to go with this, don't you ?!" Kizashi laughed with amusement. "Sakura gives herself completely, no matter what she does, that's why she suffers too much when things go wrong." He sighed and ran a hand over his forehead and hair that rose over his head in different directions. "I know what you did, everyone knows. You killed your own family and clan." Kizashi lost the contraction in Itachi's hand holding a dango stick. "But if Sakura chose you I know you're a good man and probably did what you did to protect something more important." He stared to Itachi in the eyes without a second thought whether the sharingan was activated or not and Itachi admired the man's courage. "Mebuki can call you a boy, but I know you have not been a boy for a long time and I'm sorry for that."

At that moment Itachi discovered where Sakura had inherited the compassion.

"I'll take care of her until my last breath." Itachi stated with conviction, returning Kizashi's gaze.

"I'll believe in you, my son." Kizashi said seriously this time and Itachi saw something in the clear eyes of the man he had not seen in a long time. A father's affection, he was just not sure if it was directed at him or Sakura, but it did not matter because he was determined to treat that man with all the respect he deserved.

" I'll not disappoint you, Kizashi-san." Itachi said with conviction and was relieved to see a smile, that reminded the Sakura's smile, in the face of his future father-in-law.

* * *

When they returned, Itachi had a satisfied expression and Sakura was sure it was due to the sweets he had devoured. Kizashi looked relieved and Sakura felt relief.

Sakura heard a sound coming from the kitchen and stood up from the chair where she was, talking to her mother and answering the questionnaire of a thousand questions about Uchiha Itachi. She walked sneakily and was not surprised to see Kuro on the window parapet, devouring a raw steak that seemed to be bigger than him. "Since when's he here?" Sakura asked her mother that she had a smile on face.

"Well, don't blame him for to like me more than he likes you." Mebuki stroked the bird in the head and lost the deadly look that Sakura was sending in her direction.

Itachi looked at the interesting interaction between mother and daughter and almost smiled at the irritated look of Sakura. "He always came here?" Itachi asked Sakura, putting a arm around her waist.

Before Sakura could respond Mebuki looked at them with an illegible expression and Itachi was beginning to think that that woman had Uchiha blood in her veins. "Don't be sweet in front of your parents, it's disrespectful."

"You're just jealous." Sakura replied with a smile on her face.

"You little brat." Mebuki took a step toward Sakura but Kizashi intercepted, grabbing his wife and tossing her over his shoulder as he walked toward the staircase that led to the top floor of the house.

He glanced over his shoulder. "It was a pleasure to meet you Itachi-san. Now I'm going to show this woman that there is no reason to be jealous of your youth."

Sakura tapped her forehead and pulled Itachi toward the door as she tried to ignore her mother's outraged screams and her father's loud laughter.

"Are they always like this?" Itachi asked in a good mood as he slipped on his sandals and walked out the door.

"Urgh, I pity the neighbors." She responded with mock irritation, turning off the lights and locking the door behind her, leaving Kuro to deal with the crazy parents.

* * *

After the bath they lay on the bed side by side and Itachi had a look that made Sakura feel her heart to melt "Don't look to me like that." She whispered to him.

"Like what?" He asked in a husky voice that made her shiver while he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Like you wanted to devour me." She said almost breathlessly.

Itachi ran his fingers down her neck, then down her collarbone and then grabbed her by the shoulders and tucked her under him. "Do you like it." He whispered in her ear making her moan faintly and even if she wanted to deny it with her mouth, her whole body responded to him exactly as he wanted.

He kissed her passionately and when they separeted, he saw that her eyes were clouded with lust. "Marry me." He demanded and Sakura smiled unconsciously knowing that waiting for a sweet and delicate request from a man like him would be foolish. But she loved every bit of him exactly he was and would not change all that arrogance and imperative that emanated from him. Somehow this powerful aura attracted her like a moth and even though she knew she could end being burned, she would fly to him a thousand times and lose herself with pleasure.

"Itachi." She whispered on his lips and watched him squeeze his eyes shut. "Devours me." She begged.

Itachi snarled and plunged his lips over hers knowing that those two words were the only answer that he would receive from her that moment. He could be imperative but Sakura was the one who commanded all his wishes, having her begging was the 'yes' he wanted to hear.

"Says, Sakura." He stated as he explored every part of her body.

"I love you, Itachi." She said in a breathless whisper.

"And... Yes I'll marry you." She said with a beautiful smile on the lips.

At that moment he knew that all he needed was in her.

* * *


	27. Growth

Sasuke ran through the dense forest and felt his legs burning with the immense amount of chakra he had placed on his feet to run toward the almost deafening noise of the explosions he was hearing from a distance. It had been a peaceful morning and he left to train outside the walls with Sakura. They heard the first explosion followed by a cloud of smoke coming from Konoha as they gave spar time and Sakura ran towards the Village before he could stop her.

He did not know if he was irritated by her leaving him behind or impressed by the speed with which she disappeared through the trees, making him lose sight of her completely.

When he arrived at the gates of the village he was terrified to see the immense nothing that had become. He almost gasped at the realization that the explosion had wiped out everything around. A huge crater had been made in the center of village and all the houses and shops were now piles of debris and dust around the crater. He saw bodies scattered everywhere and medic-nin trying to heal the few people who seemed to be alive.

Images of the day he experienced the massacre of his own clan flooded his mind and he fought the bile that had formed in the throat. A bitter taste flooded his mouth as he felt the heart beat much faster than it should have. Leaving the state of torpor that seemed to have lasted for a few seconds, he rushed toward the crater to check for survivors or if the enemy who had destroyed his house was still around.

He followed Sakura's familiar chakra and was horrified when he found her unconscious on the floor. "Sakura?" He called and turned her bloodied body to check the heart rate.

"Take your hands off her." He heard a dark voice scold him and looked up, annoyed that the intruder was hiding in a cloud of dust.

"Who are you?" He screamed angrily as he placed the fingers on Sakura's neck, realizing that her pulse was too weak.

He looked in the direction of the voice again and noticed that the intruder wore a black cape with red clouds but the cloud of dust still prevented him from seeing the face of the enemy. "Don't come near or I swear your death will be slow and painful." He said through gritted teeth, feeling desperate to watch over him as Sakura's pulse slowed with each passing second.

The enemy laughed. The manic laugh echoed through the gigantic crater, making Sasuke feel a nasty shiver rise up his spine. "I told you to keep your hands off her." The man said seriously and walked toward them, too fast for Sasuke to react.

Sasuke stood with Sakura in his arms and jumped back, trying to gain distance, but never turning his back to the opponent. "Sakura, talk to me." He whispered to the unconscious girl in his arms and placed the forehead over hers, feeling the despair flooding him as he realized that her heartbeats were now nonexistent. "Don't leave us, please." He begged and knew it was sounding pathetic to an Uchiha, but the feelings inside him were making his chest hurt.

In a thousandth of a second he felt Sakura's body being ripped out of his arms and he looked ahead, seeing the same man with the Akatsuki's cape kneeling facing him with Sakura's body in the arms. He walked to them feeling anger and pain at the same time. He was indignant that the enemy had dared to touch his teammate so blatantly, but the pain he was feeling for thinking about the possibility of Sakura being dead clouded all the anger and indignation.

"Show your damn face." He growled as he put an hand on the enemy's shoulder and gasped when he saw enemy's face.

He took a few steps back as if he had been hit in the stomach by his own katana. "Aniki?" He whispered weakly and looked down just to make sure it was really his brother wearing that damn cape.

"She's gone, Sasuke." Itachi said with a blank face and Sasuke saw the trail of blood that stained the face of the older brother, meaning that he had recently cried blood. "Everything you love is gone." Sasuke heard the cold voice speak before he felt Itachi's icy fingers curl around his neck.

Sasuke felt the heart race and looked around to see his house destroyed and the dead body of Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi close to him on the floor. "What did you do?" He asked with obvious disbelief.

"You're still weak. I did it for you, Sasuke." Itachi said with conviction increasing the tightness around his neck. "You have to be stronger, only then can you defeat me."

He felt all the air leave his lungs and all the hatred and disgust he felt for his brother, came back ten times stronger. All the trust that he deposited in Itachi had been in vain, he betrayed him once more.

Itachi betrayed Sakura this time and it cost the life of the one person who never gave up on him, even when his own brother and the village had given up. Sasuke would avenge Sakura, he would avenge his clan and this time nothing and nobody would stop him from annihilating Itachi once and for all.

He felt as if he had drowned and closed the eyes tightly trying to recover the last thread of air that held his life. When he opened the eyes he felt the blood running down his cheek and all the air that was missing was back.

"You did it." Itachi's calm voice echoed through his ears making him feel a shiver crawl through his skin.

"Sasuke." Sakura's sweet voice echoed beside him and he turned abruptly to look at her, belatedly realizing that he was lying in his own bed in his apartment and Sakura was sitting in a chair beside the bed, wearing a white coat. When he felt a needle pricking in his arm he realized that it was real.

"What the hell?" He cried indignantly looking between her and Itachi who had a smile on the corner of his lips as he looked to him with pride.

Sakura laughed lightly. "You did it, Sasuke." Sakura handed him something and he picked it without question.

He looked to the round mirror she had placed in his hands and gasped when he saw a six-pointed red star, perfectly shaped in the black iris of his eyes. Sakura wiped his cheek with a damp gauze and he was grateful for her to rid him of the blood that was making him feel sick.

"How?" He asked while he admired the new eyes. "I don't remember anything."

Itachi laughed hoarsely and sat down next to him on the bed. "Yesterday we talked about the theory that Sakura created for the possible activation of Mangekyou Sharingan, do you remember?"

Sasuke closed the eyes and placed the hands on them, remembering the conversation they had last night in Sakura's apartment, about the Mangekyou. They came to the conclusion that this doujutsu was activated when the user faced a situation of great loss, flooding the heart and mind with hatred, pain or other feeling strong enough to destabilize emotionally.

Itachi told the true story about Uchiha Madara, who was in the clan files, available only to the Main Family, where he showed that Madara had not killed his own brother, but the loss of Izuna by the hands of Senju Tobirama made the Mangekyou of Madara awake. Itachi recounted how he awakened the Mangekyou after Shishui's death which was his best friend, mentor and the only person he trusted blindly inside the clan.

When Sasuke removed the hands from his eyes, Itachi continued. "After our conversation yesterday, Sakura had an idea of how to help you wake the Mangekyou. We came here before you woke up."

"You put me on a jutsu." He concluded, when Itachi nodded, he felt irritation. "Why would you want to make me live such a hell?" He screamed outraged, completely losing the composure he always had.

"Come on, Sasuke, don't be a baby." Sakura nudged him in the ribs with the mirror. "Look to this beauty." She smiled to him and placed the mirror before him again, making him admire the new eyes.

"I used on you a doujutsu that I learned from the father." Itachi clarified. "I didn't choose what you saw, little brother. I'm sorry it was terrifying." Itachi sincerely apologized. "This doujutsu takes your enemy to live your worst fears."

"That's why I kept you under control." Sakura added and for the first time he realized that there was a monitor by the bed and he was attached to it by wires that were stuck in his chest and brow. "I monitored your heart and brain activities to stop you from dying. Itachi used the light version of doujutsu as well."

"Don't ever do that again." He threw himself into bed with obvious exhaustion. Sakura and Itachi exchanged glances and smiles as they saw a giant smile emblazoned on Sasuke's face.

"You're welcome." They said at the same time.

* * *

"When do you think they'll come?" Sakura asked as she swerved from the sharp blade of Sasuke's katana.

"It's been two days since Kisame's warning, it could be any time." Itachi replied as he threw shurikens towards her, which she easily deflected except for one that scratched a arm causing her to curse.

"Naruto is late." Sasuke said angrily as he jumped away from Itachi's flaming shurikens, cursing as two of them passed close enough to put his shirt on fire. He tore off the shirt as fast he could and gave an irritated glance to the brother who shrugged nonchalantly.

"We need him and Jiraya here, soon." Sakura added and plucked a gigantic stone and hurled it towards the Uchiha brothers who stumbled over being caught by surprise.

"Hey, this is cheat." Sasuke protested.

"If he can throw flaming shurikens I can throw stones. Each one launches what has." She said petulantly.

Itachi threw a bottle of water at each and sat on the grass, calling for a break in training.

"Shishou couldn't talk with them." Sakura said about Naruto and Jiraya.

"If Pain attacks and they aren't here, we'll use the Plan B." Itachi said easily.

"Plan B leaves us with no time for breaks." Sasuke got up off the floor and picked the katana again, covering it with chakra.

Itachi followed him into the fight, ignoring Sakura's whispering about Uchihas obsessed for training.

* * *

"Focus on the accumulated chakra in the center of your body." Itachi instructed.

Sasuke tried very hard, concentrating on the chakra instead of thinking about the delicious food Sakura was preparing in the apartment while he was being pushed to the limit of exhaustion by the older brother. He understood why Sakura wished him good luck when she left them both at Team Seven training camp. He really felt sorry for her that had suffered from Itachi's training when she was still a child, not for nothing that she had entered ANBU so young.

"Now expand to the chakra paths, slowly." Itachi said after a few minutes.

"I'm not Sakura." Sasuke muttered an annoyed Itachi to expect him to have abnormal chakra control like that pink-haired freak that heated his bed.

"Hn. You're an Uchiha." Itachi snapped.

At that moment Sasuke felt what Itachi had mentioned before, each fiber of his body, being flooded with a hot and powerful chakra and he felt his eyes burn but it did not matter because he had done it and the satisfaction of feeling so powerful overturned all the irritation previous he was feeling.

"I'm an Uchiha." He stated with pride and raised the head to see a small smile on the older brother's lips and a glow of pride that increased even more as he activated the sharingan to analyze what the younger brother had done.

Itachi walked around Sasuke. "It's not complete, but in that state it's enough to protect you and your comrades."

"What is missing?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"The armor." Itachi answered and motioned with his hand to Sasuke let the chakra fall again, he obeyed. "With an improvement in your chakra control it will be easy to complete." Itachi stepped forward, looking over his shoulder, he added. "Maybe Sakura can teach you a thing or two about that."

Sasuke narrowed the eyes and understood perfectly what Sakura meant about Itachi having a perverse pleasure in irritating people.

* * *

"Welcome back." Sakura's cheerful voice echoed through the apartment the moment they entered through the door. "Wash your hands I'll serve the dinner."

They smelled the delicious smell emanating down the hall before they even reached the apartment and washed their hands quickly.

Sakura laughed out loud as Itachi poured water into Sasuke's face, which he returned without a second thought. "How old are you?" Itachi asked as he wiped the face with a towel.

"You started it." Sasuke replied indignantly, ripping the towel from Itachi's hands to wipe his face.

"Hn." Itachi smiled widely and sat down in the chair next to Sakura.

"Sometimes I think you really are a sadist." Sasuke muttered as he filled a plate with a mountain of food that would make Naruto go embarrassed.

"Maybe it was the time he spent at Akatsuki." Sakura contributed.

"Which side are you on?" Itachi asked, staring at her.

"My side." Sakura answered nonchalantly.

"A good wife should support her mate." He said with a raised eyebrow.

Sasuke gasped and began to cough desperately, causing Sakura to get up and walk to him, giving him some slaps with a hand wrapped in chakra. "When were you married?" Sasuke managed to ask when the coughing attack completely passed.

Sakura sat down again and ate again as if nothing had happened.

"Last night." Itachi replied seriously while eating graciously.

When Sasuke choked again Sakura did not get up this time and looked at Itachi with narrowed eyes. "I decided, you're a sadist." She said with an amused smile. "We didn't get married." She clarified when Sasuke breathed normally again.

"I proposed, she said yes." Itachi added.

"You intended to tell me?" Sasuke asked with a little indignation.

"Maybe." Itachi said with a smile and gained a slap of Sakura on the chest.

"We'll make it official when this whole thing with Akatsuki is over." She answered by placing her hand over Itachi's on the table. "Now, tell me how the training went."

"I made it." Sasuke said with a smile that reminded her of Naruto. She had never seen such a genuine smile on his face and found herself smiling back.

"How is it?" She asked curiously.

"Powerful." He responded with enthusiasm.

"This I know, I want to know how it is aesthetically." She asked. "Tachi's is red."She added.

Sasuke snorted. "Really, is that what you want to know?" He scoffed slightly. "I was able to do something grandly powerful and you're interested in color?"

"If you don't want to say it, don't say." She retorted with a pout, making him remember a twelve-year-old Sakura.

Sasuke laughed. "It's purple, it's strong, but the armor is still missing." He heard Itachi cleared the throat and sighed in defeat. "Maybe you can help me with chakra control."

Glad to have a chance to train with her old teammate again, she smiled. "I would love to."

* * *

"Sleep here tonight." Sakura said as she lined the couch with a sheet, making Sasuke realize that Itachi's imperative habit was rubbing in her.

Sasuke shook the head and threw himself on the couch as if the house belonged to him. "It's not like you're asking." He teased her.

"You can always say no." Sakura screamed and threw a pillow at his head.

"Yes and hear you complaining about having the couch fixed for nothing." He threw the pillow back at her making her screech in surprise.

"Get off my couch and go home." She threw herself at him, repeatedly banging the cushion on his head.

Laughter invaded the room and Itachi recline in the wall with the arms crossed, glaring at the pillow fight going on in the living room. A smile graced his lips and he felt something heating the chest, feeling for the first time in a long time that him was part of somewhere. "You're noisy." He said seriously and received a pillow directly in the head.

"Uh, oh." Sakura murmured to Sasuke who had eyes wide as realized what he had done.

"I hold him and you attack." She whispered to Sasuke watching Itachi walk slowly toward them.

"Are you out of your mind?" Sasuke whispered back.

"Together we're stronger, Sasuke." Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder and said seriously and breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded.

She climbed onto the arm of the couch and jumped on Itachi's back as Sasuke attacked him with two pillows at once.

"This is cheating." Itachi screamed, trying to stop laughing at the ridiculous situation he was in.

"You're an elite shinobi." Sakura screamed back, laughing even louder when he yanked her off his back and threw her on the couch.

A knock on the wall made the three of them freeze. "Urgh, neighbors." Sakura grunted and sat down on the couch. When she saw the shaggy hair state of the ever-perfect Uchihas, she laughed until she fell off the couch.

"Look your own hair." Sasuke and Itachi both said at the same time while adjusting the hair with their hands trying to maintain the dignity.

* * *


	28. Knowing the enemy

It was a sunny day in Konoha, birds were flying across the blue sky while white clouds were scattered across the sky making Shikamaru's delight on a lazy morning. In the knowledge of a shinobi, one day like this was rare and should be appreciated because you never know when the winds will change, taking the white clouds away and bringing a disturbing storm.

"It's all so quiet." A jounin sighed as he stared at the beautiful sky.

"So quiet." The other answered as he stretched. "It seems the calm before a storm."

The other two jounin who had returned from a patrol nodded in agreement. "I think the storm is coming." One of them pointed to the sky. The others looked where he had pointed and saw the small vibration in the dome that was created by the protective jutsu that surrounded the Hidden Village of Konoha.

"You already know what to do." The leader of that squadron said earnestly as he ran toward the suspicious movement and the others nodded, rushing toward the Hokage Tower to warn of the possible invasion.

* * *

"It's starting." Naruto said with a little enthusiasm in the voice as he walked toward the window of Tsunade's office.

"You seem too excited for my taste." Tsunade reprimanded.

Naruto scratched the back of the neck feeling embarrassed. "Don't blame me, you kept me from the action the last time."

Nara Shikaku entered the office unannounced or bothered to knock on the door because of the seriousness of the situation. "Hokage-sama." He bowed respectfully. "The protection jutsu warned of the invaders's entrance."

"How many?" Tsunade asked.

"Seven." He replied. "There was visual confirmation by the reconnaissance patrol this morning."

"Someone dead?" Tsunade asked with obvious apprehension in her voice.

He shook the head in denial. "But we have three seriously injured." Seeing the angry look on her face he added. "They're being taken care of by the medical team present in the village."

Tsunade nodded and dismissed him, turning her eyes to the ninjas in the office, making her think that either there were too many people in that room or the room was too small for so many people. "Karasu-san was right, there are seven enemies." Tsunade said looking at ANBU with the crow mask in front of her desk. "We'll keep the main plan underway from now on." She added.

At that moment two ANBU agents stormed through the window. Sakura and Sai landed on the window sill and kept their masks on faces. "Hokage-sama, there is movement outside the walls." Sakura said in a voice muffled by the fox mask that covered her features.

Tsunade rose from the chair and folded the arms across her chest. Jiraya walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders that were tense. "Don't worry Tsune, let's go to Plan C." He said with a soothing voice in her ear making her relax visibly.

"You heard the man. Plan C in progress." She said confidently and walked out the door with Jiraya on the right, Sasuke and Naruto on the left side, with the shinobis jounin following behind them, while the ANBU agents went out the window or disappeared leaving clouds of smoke behind.

* * *

"We can not let them in." ANBU in the crow mask said to the shinobi and kunoichis standing in front of him, positioned outside the gates of the village. "Do not underestimate them." He added.

"We're not amateurs, kid." Asuma put a hand on ANBU's shoulder with the crow mask.

"This kid knows these guys better than any of us." Agent ANBU with a mask of fox said without emotion.

"That's why he's the leader of this operation." Kakashi added, taking Asuma's arm off Itachi's shoulder before his friend ended up losing his hand somehow. He knew it was not easy for an experienced shinobi to take orders from a younger agent, especially one who was the enemy a few days ago, but he admired and respected Itachi as an equal and Kakashi knew better than anyone what it was to be underestimated by older shinobis.

"Don't act all loud and powerful now, forehead." Ino said with disdain looking at the fox mask.

"Here we go." Shikamaru grunted, watching Ino irritate Sakura purposefully.

"According to our trackers, there are three groups." Sakura informed, completely ignoring Ino's teasing, gaining a mortal look from the girl.

"Neji-san, can you tell us the enemy's directions?" She asked sweetly.

"San?" Shikamaru asked confused.

"What happened to Neji-kun?" Neji asked as he walked over to Sakura and lifted her mask, letting the hand stay on her cheek for a few seconds.

"The locations, Hyuuga." Itachi said in an irritated voice as he lowered Sakura's mask again.

Neji stared at the crow mask and when he saw the sharingan activate, he took a step back realizing who was under the mask, he decided he would ask Sakura later.

Neji nodded and activated the byakugan. "Two, south." He pointed and looked toward the road where they were. "Two, forward... And by the indication of the chakra, should be Hoshigaki Kisame, from the Bingo book." He looked around. "Two east, at the end of the Forest of Death."

Itachi nodded. "Team three goes toward the Forest of Death." He looked at Kakashi. "If be the man with a sickle, don't be injured or cut by him in no case." He warned.

Kakashi looked to him back. "Hidan?" He asked remembering the list that Itachi had made with the names and abilities of all Akatsuki members. When Itachi nodded, Kakashi left without question as fast as he could, followed by reluctant Asuma and his team composed of Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru.

Itachi looked at the Hyuuga. "Team two, in front." He was pleased when that team ran as fast as he could without looking back making him realize that maybe only Asuma had a problem with him in the lead.

When Yamato, Gai, Tenten, Lee and Neji ran down the road he looked at the own team. "We're going south." He left without looking back.

"Who do you think you could be?" Sakura asked as she ran alongside Sasuke, Sai and Itachi.

"If Hyuuga was right about Kisame." He pondered the possibilities. "It remains Uchiha Obito that has Deidara as a partner or Hidan who is Kakuzu's partner."

Sai, Sakura and Sasuke made a mental sweep over the abilities of the opponents they were likely to face and mentally prepared for the battle to follow.

"Strategies, Aniki?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi nodded. "If we meet the Uchiha and Deidara, you and I face the sharingan bearer, Sakura and Sai face Deidara." He looked in the direction of Sakura and Sai briefly. "Deidara will try to jump in a fight with me and if Uchiha Obito is holding Tobi's act, he'll let Deidara rule. Keep Deidara busy." When Sakura and Sai nodded, he continued. "Sai has the advantage of jutsus over long distances." He stated making Sai look to him with a little admiration in his eyes for having realized the jutsu style he uses just looking at him only once. "Sakura needs closeness, use that to your advantage. Sai draws close with your art and Sakura ends." He walked.

"Hai." Sai and Sakura said in unison, satisfied with the strategy.

"What if we don't meet Obito and Deidara?" Sakura asked.

"Leave Hidan with me, keep away from him. He is scattered and very prone to fall into an elaborate genjutsu without Kakuzu to guide him, so keep the other busy. Wreck the masks he uses on his back quickly before he can use it." He instructed and increased the chakra in the feet to gain speed.

* * *

"Strategies?" Asuma asked looking between Kakashi and Shikamaru as they ran through the dense forest toward the enemy chakra.

Kakashi nodded and looked at Shikamaru. "Follow my reasoning, okay?" When Shikamaru nodded he continued. "If Neji was right about the shark's face, remnant Tobi, the Uchiha who has Deidara as his partner and Hidan, the scythe guy who is Kakuzu's partner who has all five hearts, according to Itachi-san."

"Hai." Shikamaru listened closely and recalled the abilities of the Akatsuki members described by Itachi days ago. "If we face the Uchiha, we'll leave him with you, Kakashi-sensei." He said with absolute certainty. "I'm sure it was because of this possibility that Itachi-san put you with us." Kakashi smiled at the boy's sagacity. "With the right distraction we can use InoShikaChou in Deidara, finalizing it easily."

"Where I stand in all the action." Asuma laughed weakly.

"You cover me." Kakashi stated.

"Covering Kakashi-sensei." Shikamaru said at the same time.

"Geniuses think alike, I think." Ino murmured to herself. "What if we face the others?" She asked.

"I'll get Hidan." He declared. "You destroy Kakuzu's masks before he gets a chance to turn it into the giant monsters that Itachi-san has warned."

"You can't face a member of Akatsuki alone." Asuma scolded.

Shikamaru scratched the back of his neck. "I know it will be problematic, sensei."

"You already know how to do it, don't you?" Asuma questioned and Shikamaru did not lose the glint of pride in the eyes of the man looking to him.

He nodded. "Itachi-san said that he is an immortal, but even an immortal needs all parts of the body together to present some danger."

Kakashi laughed weakly. "Itachi can be a little scary sometimes."

"Scary?" Ino cried indignantly. "He's completely terrifying. I don't know how Sakura can handle him."

Shikamaru and Kakashi laughed, surprising the others. "I don't know how he can handle Sakura." Shikamaru added.

Ino approached Shikamaru completely forgetting the seriousness of the situation they were in. "I knew there was something going on between those two. Sakura didn't say a single word since she came back, not that we'd had time for a girls night anyway. Tell me everything you know about their relationship."

Shikamaru moaned with obvious discomfort.

"You'll have time for gossip if we win this fight, Ino." Asuma scolded, gaining a grateful look from Shikamaru. "Now, how do you intend to dismember the immortal?"

"Oh." He remembered the conversation that had completely changed course. "The part of the forest where we're going is owned by my clan, I know it like the back of my hand and I know exactly where to go, I just can't let him cut me. Sakura took care of that part." He whispered the last part to himself but Kakashi heard.

Kakashi gave an interrogative look that Shikamaru ignored, knowing that Sakura would kill him and Neji if they shared about the forbidden jutsu she learned and taught them to use only in case of extreme necessity. That troubled girl would save his life more often than he could tell, that he was sure of.

* * *

"We meet again." Kisame stared at Gai with a smile that made Tenten swallow a lump that had formed in the throat as she faced two members of the most dangerous organization that walked the Earth, overcoming the feared swordsmen of the Mist.

Gai looked at Kisame with scrutiny, narrowing his eyes and frowning as if he could barely see.

Neji looked to the troubled sensei knowing exactly what was to come. "I know I should remember you, but I can't." Gai said with an apologetic tone.

Kisame felt the smile fall at the words and took a step forward, drawing the sword from behind. "Don't worry, I'll make you remember me soon." He took a menacing step forward while Zetsu stood motionless on the trunk of a tree just behind Kisame.

* * *

"Seriously... Two old men and three kids? Is this what the Village that produced the dreaded Uchiha Itachi has to offer?" Hidan shouted with mockery and irritation intertwined in a disgusted tone.

"Never underestimate your opponents." Kakuzu said with reproach and no patience.

"Is this the immortal and the guy of the masks?" Ino asked Asuma in a whisper and he nodded.

"Do you stay with the kids or the old men?" Hidan asked Kakuzu. "Or do I pick the ones from the right and you get the ones from the left?"

Kakuzu snorted at the way his partner disdained opponents and waited for them to attack first to see what abilities they possessed.

That hope vanished by the time he saw Hidan laugh hysterically and chase after the dark-haired boy who had said something to provoke the unstable man.

Kakuzu restrained the urge to punch Hidan, pushing the anger he was feeling from the annoying partner to focus on the fight. "Idiot." He murmured to himself and decided that this time the attack would be the best defense, thanks to the impulsiveness of the irresponsible partner that leader gave him.

* * *

"Sakura-chan." Tobi screamed and jumped from a tall branch falling a few feet away from Sakura. "Tobi missed the cherry blossom of him." He took a few steps toward her and smiled beneath the mask as she did not retreat. "Tobi is glad you wanted to match." He pointed to the white mask with spirals that covered his face and then to the fox porcelain mask that covered her face.

"What do you intend to do in Konoha?" Itachi asked, ignoring the man's antics.

"Oh Itachi-san." He turned to face Itachi. "Now that you've left the group, It's not fair that you know our plans."

Sakura took advantage of the fact that Obito's focus was on Itachi and looked to Sai who nodded and unrolled a scroll, drawing frantically with a paintbrush and black ink.

Deidara who was a few feet away from Itachi and Sasuke, molding clay in his hands ready to attack the Uchiha brothers, looked to Sai curiously when saw that he was painting something on a scroll, completely losing interest in the Uchiha in front of him. Sakura ran toward him, past Obito. "Do you want to see what true art is, Deidara-san?" She asked with an obvious smile in her voice as she gained distance from Obito, leaving him to Sasuke and Itachi.

Deidara grunted irritably. "I very much doubt that anyone in this Village knows what art is." Even scornfully, he followed Sakura and Sai like a bee attracted by honey and Sakura looked at Sai who nodded and kept a distance from the battle between Uchihas that was ready to happen.

* * *

Inside the Konoha's gates, Jiraya faced a person he thought he would never see again. "You've become a beautiful woman, my little paper flower." He smiled at the girl with blue hair and orange eyes before him.

"Jiraya-sama." She bowed respectfully, but kept her stoical features. "I'm sorry we found again, that way." She said with a cold tone but he recognized the small note of sadness in the tone she used.

"This fight doesn't have to end badly." He insisted but feared that there was no way for her to hear the reason voice. "Why don't you tell me exactly what happened to Yahiko and Nagato?" He asked gently, not losing the way her eye contracted with that last question.

"None of them exist anymore." She said with coldness and pain. "But you'll meet Pain soon."

Jiraya stood defensively as a cloud of papers hovered in the air above the woman's head in front of him that was once a sweet little girl, but now she was a person completely transformed by loss and pain. He knew this feeling, he saw and lived through it all his life and regretted not having been with the three little ninjas he took care of so much, to spare them from ending that way.

* * *

Naruto ran through the streets keeping the focus in front of him, ready to reach the point where he should find what Itachi had mentioned. He tried to ignore the conflicts going on around him. Houses were being knocked over as a giant centipede destroyed everything in its path and he almost lost the concentration he was trying to maintain.

When two agents dressed in ANBU uniforms next to two dressed in jounin uniforms, slid in front of him, he stopped running to look around. He realized how much everyone was worn and visibly bruised, but still standing and facing the enemy with all they had.

A masked shinobi made hand signals too fast to follow, no using an sharingan, suddenly a chakra cube surrounded a man with long, orange hair, wearing the Akatsuki cape. "One of the Pains." He murmured to himself.

"Hey brat, stay on your way. We take care of that." Anko screamed, jumping from a tall building toward the chakra cube, there was blood dripping from a deep cut on her shoulder, but she did not seem to be in pain. Naruto blinked and returned to his senses, realizing that he was wasting precious time watching that fight, but his feet did not move.

The chakra cube gained several inhabitants when Anko made seals that Naruto had seen Sasuke do once, within minutes the thin snakes that crawled through the cube covered the enemy and smashed into every cavity he possessed, pushing the chakra receivers that were scattered through his body, before he had a chance to tear the snakes off him. Naruto watched in shock as the last chakra receiver fell, causing the dead body of the enemy to fall immediately.

"I said we take care of this." Anko screamed angrily, making Naruto realize that he was still standing in the same place, he scratched the neck nervously.

"You guys are doing a great job, really." He said with a smile before running in the direction he was going earlier, deciding he would not be distracted again. Konoha's future depended on that victory and he would die before letting Akatsuki win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The action starts now. I think the battles and resolutions will last five chapters. So the end and maybe an epilogue. I'm working on other stories and as much as I don't want Believing to end, I want to post other stories. I'm working on a GaaSaku, in addition to 'In the Cave' and 'Always Been Him' (Basic merchandising from my other histories Lol). Tks for read!


	29. Once upon a time an immortal

Shikamaru raced through the trees taking the enemy to an area where he used to train with his father. The tall, thick-trunked trees made that particular area the perfect place to use the shadows jutsu of the Nara. Shikamaru was less anxious and distressed to know that the place where he would fight was familiar, but he did not take away the annoying fear that rubbed at his skin knowing that he would face a feared member of one of the most dangerous organizations the world has ever seen. Alone. But he could not risk the lives of his teammates.

He jumped among the branches of the leafy trees, thanking the sun for being high in the sky, making shadows all over the forest where he stepped. The sound of the man's derisive laughter behind him was sending chills through his skin and it was not pleasant if he could say something about it. If he could put into words what he thought of that man he would say it was strange, but it would be very troublesome and a waste of energy to think about it a lot.

As he approached the clearing to which he was addressing, he looked up at the sky. Full white clouds flew across the pale blue sky, carried by the wind, making him think for the thousandth time in his life that he wanted to be a cloud. It was a beautiful day in Konoha, in contrast to the battles that were about to happen, it might become a terrible day.

"It would be a good day to die." He murmured to himself without thinking.

"Will these be your last words?" Hidan's voice echoed behind him making him realize what he had said and regretted bitterly.

If he had the luxury of dying today, he knew that Sakura would think of a way to bring him back just to give him a sermon about how much he was a lazy idiot who died just to get out of the battle, so she he would leave him with his mother and Ino, making him wish death once more. "Problematic women." He grunted as he landed on the green grass floor in a clearing and smiled slightly at the thought of the women who tormented his life. He decided he would not die today, it was too beautiful a day to make them cry.

"You're a strange boy." Hidan grunted.

"Tsk." It was his only answer. If this man thought he was strange, what would he say if he faced Neji and Sakura in a fight. Shikamaru was sure to be the least odd among his Jounin team members.

* * *

Itachi stared at Obito, waiting for him to take the initiative and attack first. He wondered how long the man would be able to keep the act, even knowing that Itachi knew his supposed Uchiha Madara identity.

"Itachi-kun." Obito used the voice he used when he acted as Madara, making things easier for Itachi. If that's how he decided to play, Itachi would go with it without question. Itachi would face him as if he were Madara, the same man who helped him the night of the massacre to their clan. Obito did not know that they knew about his true identity, and that in itself was a huge advantage right now.

"Don't call me like that." Itachi said without emotion in his voice and stepped forward, keeping a hand on the katana sheath resting on his back.

"I confess that your return to Konoha surprised me." Obito took two steps forward, narrowing the distance between him and the Uchiha brothers. Sasuke studied him cautiously, but did not move, studying each gesture of Obito.

Itachi smiled. "You forced me to." He answered with a clear smile in his voice.

"Oh." Obito smiled back, though it could not be seen because of the mask. "Sakura-chan." He declared, as if that simple name explained everything. When Itachi nodded, Obito laughed. "Who would have thought you'd reveal everything you fought so hard to hide for almost a decade, because of a woman."

"Is not only a woman. Is Sakura." Itachi answered calmly.

Obito nodded. "I understand." He said in a low voice remembering all he had done so far to create a world where Rin was alive. He understood perfectly how Itachi allowed to have all plans and life changed just to keep Sakura safe. If he had even had the chance to keep Rin safe, if he had arrived a few minutes earlier that fateful night when Rin launched into Kakashi's Raikiri, everything would be different.

But Rin died and he put all he had and bet all the chips in the Madara's plan. After meeting Sakura he wondered about the sanity of it all. He thought that maybe the world could offer more, maybe he should let the dead rest and maybe create an illusion and live in it would not be as satisfying as living a real life with real people and true feelings. He abandoned those thoughts as fast as it came. He devoted much of his life to creating the Infinite Tsukuyomi and living a life where Rin could be there. He would not give up. It was too late.

Sakura reminded him of Rin and Kakashi at the same time. That storm of pink in the shape of a woman made him think of the life he had and left behind to pursue a future where there would be no pain, no suffering, no loss. It was too late now. He would go ahead with the plans he fought so hard to achieve. "Nothing has changed, Itachi-kun, and you're in my way." He stated with conviction before casting himself at the Uchiha brothers who were ready for him.

* * *

Naruto jumped into a tall building and looked around desperately. He glanced toward the highest point of the Hokage Tower and saw when one of the Pain confronted Tsunade. Unconsciously he jumped in the direction of conflict.

"Are you looking for me?" He asked when he heard the orange-haired man question Tsunade about his whereabouts, threatening to destroy the village if she did not tell him where he was.

Pain turned to find Naruto with his arms crossed, wearing a black and red cape that was flying in the direction of the wind, standing on the railing at the end of the place where they were. "You spared me the trouble of looking for you." Pain said with indifference and a twinge of satisfaction.

"Naruto." Tsunade grunted in annoyance and jumped between him and the enemy. She stared at Pain with obvious aversion in her features. "You come to my Village and threaten innocent people who are under my protection. I'll not forgive you." She said through clenched teeth, hoping that Naruto would take advantage of the distraction to disappear from there.

"I came in search of the Jinchuuriki." Pain said seriously. "Before I leave, taking what I have come for, I'll show you what the real pain is."

Tsunade, Naruto and some ANBU agents standing on the balcony to protect the Hokage, felt a wave of chakra passing them shivering through their skin. "Is this Rinnegan's power?" One of the shinobi said aloud, completely mortified by the power emanating from a single man.

Pain stared at the village with dead eyes and stretched out his arms, preparing to evoke a destruction jutsu. "Naruto, would you feel pain if you saw everything you love being destroyed before your eyes?" He asked, staring at the blond boy who opened the eyes wide after hearing the question.

Naruto stared at him with clenched teeth and clenched fists at his side. He recalled that Itachi had warned of Pain's obsession with his own ideology and feared the worst. He decided he needed a distraction. "If you want Kyuubi so much, why not come pick up?" Naruto said with a mocking smile. He knew that if Sakura and Sasuke were there they would be snorting and saying how he was being childish and only that thought made him giggle without realizing he irritated Pain even more.

Naruto jumped from the parapet where he was, running toward the village gates in the hope of taking the fight outside. When he looked back and saw Pain following him, he sighed in relief as he realized that the man really wanted to affect him enough not to destroy everything before he was sure he would watch closely. When he was near the gates he looked over his shoulder to see that Pain had stopped and he stopped automatically, turning to face the enemy.

He watched intrigued as the man pulled out an black bar from his own body and hit one of Konoha's citizens directly in the chest, never looking away from him, making Naruto realize that all he wanted was a reaction from him at any cost.

When the citizen disappeared in a cloud of smoke instead of bleeding to death, Pain looked at Naruto with the same expressionless face, but Naruto understood that he was curious and decided to satisfy his curiosity. "Bunshin no jutsu." Naruto said with an amused smile. He crouched down, picking a big rock and hurling it toward a child who ran past them. The child disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "Bunshin and Henge no Jutsu." Naruto declared with a giggle.

He turned his back to Pain and kept walking toward the gates. "You know, Sakura-chan can be very ingenious. When she and Shikamaru are together it's almost scary what comes out of their minds, they gave the idea of evacuating the village days ago and when the attack started we'd use half the shinobi force to focus on creating citizen clones using Bunshin and Henge in Jutsu." When he got out of the gates he turned relieved to see Pain just behind him. "Everyone present in this village at the moment are ninjas or volunteer medic." He concluded with a smile.

Pain looked at him with frowning brows and Naruto continued to smile. "You shouldn't underestimate our will of fire." He stated before biting his finger and making a seal on the floor with the blood he had taken with the bite. "Kuchiyose no jutsu." Gamabunta appeared beneath Naruto.

Pain stared at Naruto for a few seconds before making his own summoning. Naruto looked puzzled to see five other orange-haired shinobis with Akatsuki covers, even the one that Anko and the other Konoha-nins had knocked over. He decided he would ask Itachi about it later, after he won that fight.

* * *

Shikamaru focused on every movement that man before him did, diverting from the ferocious blows that the man threw toward him. Each movement with that sickle was a step closer to death and Shikamaru knew he needed to keep the distance until he created the opening that would give him the perfect chance to counterattack. It would not be an easy fight to win and lose was not an option.

He stood at a distance he considered safe, made some hand signals invoking the shadow jutsu that had the widest possible range. Hidan laughed with every leap he gave, fleeing the shadows of Shikamaru, as if the whole fight was just a tag game. "You need to be faster if you want to get me." He screamed as he escaped another shadow.

Shikamaru felt an eye contracting with irritation, he did not expect the man to be so agile carrying such a heavy weapon with him. Shikamaru used one of the shadow tentacles to take a kunai out of the back pocket of his pants and hurled it toward the opponent, making Hidan laugh even more when he jumped away from the kunai. At that moment a thin, almost imperceptible shadow reached the man, making Shikamaru smile in triumph.

"Oy, what the hell did you do to me?" Hidan screamed angrily as he tried to take a step forward but was stopped by something he could not see.

"Look at the floor." Shikamaru offered lazily, pointing to the thin shadow that bound the man's feet to his.

"Damn brat." Hidan grunted irritably, narrowing the eyes at the sight of the foot moving against his will and understood that the boy's jutsu made the shadows control the opponent. He remembered Kakuzu's warning about not underestimating the enemy and cursed himself for having fallen into such a silly trick. He fought with all his might against the death grip that shadow had upon him.

Shikamaru admired the man's strength and found it difficult to keep the grip he had on him. He raced toward a spot in the forest he had in mind since before the start of this fight. A small space surrounded by trees where he had prepared with explosives for an earlier training. Everyone was always scolding him for his laziness, but this time laziness had been very useful. He did not detonate the explosives in the last spar session with his father and Shikaku ordered him to take the explosives out of the trees before one of the deer who lived in the jungle would trigger one of the tags and send all to the air with an explosion. As always he postponed the task until the present moment and congratulated himself for this.

It had been four and a half minutes since he'd arrested Hidan in his shadows and to his unhappiness the man realized that the grip was growing weaker. Hidan smirked as one of his arms escaped the shadow that held him. "Ha! your time is gone, baka." He shouted with satisfaction as he realized the pattern of time the shadow jutsu had and with a little effort he managed to let go completely.

Shikamaru watched as the man ran the short distance that separated them sending blows toward him. He dodged the blows and at that moment made the decision that would change the course of that fight. He knew it was dangerous and if it worked it would consume much more chakra than he was willing to spend, but it would save his life and he needed to wager all the chips he had. Making hand signals he learned a long time ago, he prayed for it to work.

When one of the blades of the sickle hit his arm, he gasped. He looked up and saw the smile of satisfaction on the face of the immortal who licked the blade without looking away from him. When Hidan made a confused grimace, Shikamaru looked at the arm that had been hit and saw the rip on the shirt, but where there should be a deep cut there was not a single scratch.

"You don't bleed, damn brat?" Hidan asked indignantly and took a few slow steps toward him. Shikamaru god some steps back unconsciously making the manic smile of Hidan return.

Hidan lifted his arm and struck Shikamaru in the shoulder, laughing hysterically. When Shikamaru felt the blade come out of his shoulder, there was a significant drain in his chakra and at that moment he was sure that the forbidden jutsu that Sakura taught him and Neji years ago had worked. Hidan stared at the blade with narrowed eyes as there was not a drop of blood left. "What the hell are you?"

"A lucky." He smiled lazily and made quick signs, using the last remnant of chakra to trap the man in his shadow jutsu. He knew he had only two minutes because the chakra in his body was scarce and the man was too strong for him to hold any longer.

"This crap is even weaker than the first time." Hidan scoffed as he thrashed, pleased to see the shadows recede a few inches with every movement of him.

Shikamaru lifted his right arm and saw Hidan lift the scythe. "What do you think you're going to do?" Hidan asked with a twinge of desperation in his voice.

Shikamaru made a movement with his arm and the sharp blade of the sickle cut Hidan's head with a single hit. He held the rest of Hidan's body in the shadow and gasped at the energy he'd expended to keep both the bodies standing. "This is going to be a mess." He kept the body firmly in place and made a motion with his hand to make Hidan's own body cut off both legs. There was a loud thud as the body fell into the pool of blood.

"Oy, what do you think you're doing with my beautiful body, huh?" Hidan's head screamed from the place on the floor.

He ignored the protests and curses of the head on the floor and undid the shadow jutsu, walking slowly up to the body, he plucked the scythe that was tight in Hidan's hand and used it to dismember him. "This is very problematic." He mumbled as he cut the Hidan's arms, moaning in disgust as blood spurted from the cut and splashed over his face.

"Don't do this to my body and don't use my sickle. Jashin will punish you severely." Hidan screamed outraged to see the boy cut his body into several parts with his own weapon.

"Believe in me." Shikamaru sighed and wiped the sweat from the forehead. "This is more annoying to me than to you." He grunted and kept cutting, holding back the urge to vomit at the sight of so much blood, some organs he did not even know the human body had and body parts in front of him. When he was sure it would be impossible to gather those parts again he stopped. Using the last chakra he possessed, he summoned his shadows to pull the wires with explosive papers that were strategically scattered in the trees around them. Sending the wires toward the body parts he fired one of the labels, blasting the floor beneath the dismembered man.

The explosion opened a small hole in the ground sending the body parts and debris down. "You think this can stop me, you little shit?" Hidan's head asked arrogantly. Shikamaru rubbed his eyes feeling a headache coming on and wondered how anyone could be so noisy in such a pathetic state. He ignored the screams once again and sent his last explosively labeled kunai toward the wall of the hole.

"What will you do?" Hidan asked with obvious terror in his voice.

"You'll be buried alive. But it's not my fault you don't die, anyway." Shikamaru explained before firing the tag, blowing up the walls of the hole, covering the immortal with stones and dirt. The last cry of agony of the talking head was covered by the stones. Shikamaru took from the pocket the seal that Jiraya created to seal the body of the immortal if he were defeated. Jiraya had made three seals and handed over to Itachi who gave one member of each team if Plan C was needed. "I'm sure that head will not last long without oxygen."

He activated the seal with chakra and threw it onto the circle of rocks that formed on the ground, seeing the seal's kanji shine on the ground, he fell in the green grass, feeling the exhaustion for lack of chakra consuming him completely. He thanked the silence and looked up at the sky, wishing more than ever to be a cloud, because he knew that when he came home with that bloodstained garment, his mother would be far more scary than the immortal who now resided in that hole.

* * *


	30. Free Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains character death.

Sakura ran as fast as she could to distance herself from the Uchihas. She looked to the right side where Sai was running beside her and drawing in a scroll at the same time. He finished the drawing quickly and Sakura once again admired the companion's ability to be able to draw perfectly in movement.

Sai made fast signs of hands and with the seal formed a ink bird appeared. He jumped on the bird and held out his hand to Sakura, who readily accepted it without question, sitting behind him, holding his waist like a lifeline.

Deidara followed the pair, he would never admit that he was interested in the abilities of the pink-haired girl's partner he did not even have the opportunity to torture when she was in Akatsuki's possession, but he was amazed to see a near perfect bird come out of the scroll where the extremely pale shinobi was drawing while running at high speed without stumbling. Deidara snorted to himself and repeated that the pretty damn bird was almost perfect because it was not made of clay.

Concentrating on the pair in front of him, he cast his own bird to match the opponent and climbed into it in a matter of minutes, making the bird take flight. As he looked in the direction they had followed, he had the slight impression that he had been manipulated not to interfere with Itachi's fight, but he ignored it, much more interested in the pursuit and the explosive fight that was to come.

* * *

Kakuzu stared at his opponents in disgust. He saw the three shinobi and the konoichi of Konoha making bunshins and sending them toward him. He understood that they were distracting him, but he was intrigued by the reason for the distraction. He suspected that Uchiha Itachi might have warned Konoha about Akatsuki's abilities and weaknesses, and if that were the case, they would be at a huge disadvantage.

He used his lines to cross opponent's bodies but was annoyed when more bunshins appeared to replace the bunshins he had felled. He sighed irritably but thought he could do it all day, at some point the opponents would run out of chakra due to overuse and he would win. It was just a matter of time and basic math and if he was good at anything other than losing his temper easily, it was accounting.

* * *

Sakura put her arms around Sai's shoulders, using him as support to stand up on the ink bird that flew over Deidara's clay bird a few feet away below them. "Don't let me fall." She shouted at him loud enough for her voice to cut through the biting wind and catch her partner's ears.

"I'll not let you hit the ground, Ugly." He stated with conviction, but somehow that sentence made Sakura feel a nasty shiver down her spine. She chose to ignore the feeling and jumped from the ink bird toward Deidara with all the grace of a well-trained kunoichi.

Sakura pulled the blond hair of Deidara as she fell on the clay bird ignoring the curses that were directed at her. She thought his hair might be a sensitive spot but he did not think it would be more sentimental than physical.  _'Akatsukis are strangers.'_  She thought as she struck punches with her chakra infused wrists toward her opponent's blond head.  **"Our fiance still paints the nails of purple, weekly."**  Inner sang in the back of her mind and Sakura ignored it, concentrating on the fight before her.

She felt something small crawling over her legs and knew it was some unpleasant insect that would produce an even more unpleasant explosion next. In a moment of distraction to get the dozen spiders off her legs, she could not deflect a kick in the belly that threw her from the bird and all she could hear was Deidara's mocking laughter.

"Shit." She cursed as she fell, feeling the biting wind on her skin, almost painfully, and Deidara's manic laughter was drowned out by the howl of the wind. She thanked the fall that made the spiders untie from the pants and explode in the air, leaving a cloud of smoke and covering her location of Deidara as well as Sai, because of this she knew she would have to save herself, Sai was not seeing her body, making impossible a ransom.

She grabbed a kunai in the back pocket of her pants and tied a bandage that she hoped was long enough. Throwing the kunai toward the clay bird she smiled as she felt the kunai connect and with a swiftness that would have made Itachi admired, she went up.

Deidara did not feel the chakra of Itachi's girl but doubted that that little explosion had been the end of her. If she was able to overthrow Sasori alone, and be able to strike a blow at Tobi she should not be underestimated. After a long minute of silence and no glimpse of pink from anywhere, he focused on the ink bird that flew a few feet away before him.

Preparing a beautiful clay bird, much smaller than what he was mounted, Deidara sent it toward the opponent. When the bird was a short distance from the ink bird, Deidara narrowed the eyes as the ink bird's pilot glanced over his shoulder with an annoying smile on face. He frowned when the Itachi's girl appeared in the air, holding a bandage that seemed to be attached to a kunai that was apparently attached to his bird the entire time she disappeared. He watched almost hypnotized as she released the bandage and drew the katana from her back, parting the clay bird in half. As if the explosion caused by the bird was nothing, she landed in front of him making him take a step back unconsciously.

"Did you miss me?" He felt his left eye twitch in annoyance as she had the audacity to smile as she uttered that bold phrase right in his face.

"Your death will be my masterpiece." He growled and send blows toward her, feeling his temper explode quickly.

Sakura dodged gracefully from most of the blows but she admitted to herself that he was good at taijutsu, even for a long distance fighter. As he kicked at her with impressive ability, she saw him make a hand signal and when he smiled at her widely she realized she was in trouble.

Sakura gasped when the bird beneath them exploded and for a millisecond she was able to save her feet from the blast. Once more she found herself falling and with a sigh she look up at the blue sky above her. "It's a beautiful day." She whispered before landing on her back on a soft surface. She tilted the neck and looked up side down at Sai. "I asked you don't let me fall." She mumbled without much anger in her voice because the furious wind had taken most of the air out of her lungs.

"I said I wouldn't let you hit the ground." Sai replied with a half-mocking smile and Sakura wanted to punch him so hard, but instead she laughed.

"He's behind that tree." Sai pointed to a large tree and led the bird low enough for Sakura to jump.

She got to her feet and nodded. "I, officially, hate air fights." She grunted as she prepared to leap once more from too high a height for her taste.

"I'll catch you if you fall." Sai said seriously.

"I'm counting on it." She smiled at him due to the sincerity of that statement and jumped toward the tree, kicking hard as she reached a branch, knocking the thing to the ground, forcing Deidara out.

Sakura saw several clay dolls pinned by clay lines crawling toward her and for a second she regretted taking that fight to the ground. She ran toward the trees trying to escape the sticky dolls that crept closer and closer to her.

Deidara smiled when he saw her covered with his clay dolls, completely still, he tilted the head to the side admiring his work of art. He thought she was beautiful with those exotic colors that adorned her eyes and hair, but he found her even more beautiful covered in explosive clay. "Katun." He screamed as he watched the beautiful explosion in front of him.

He took two steps toward what was once the beautiful girlfriend of the Uchiha bastard and felt his feet being swept from the floor. "Kawarimi no Jutsu." He growled as he saw a tree trunk come out of the smoke as it rolled to the side on the ground, escaping a few inches from a powerful punch from the girl on top of him. "You Konoha ninjas, don't die?" He said through gritted teeth.

To his frustration, Sakura lifted the porcelain mask, pinning it to her head, and smiled, he barely knew she'd been itchy for a good fight for a long time now and he'd provided just that to her. They exchanged taijutsu blows and for a moment he thought she was enjoying fighting him. Deciding it was time to put an end to that waste of energy, he lifted his cape, sliding bouth hands into the clay bags fastened on his hip.

"I'm tired of being blown up, Deidara-san." Sakura stated before an bunshin, with hidden chakra, grabbed his hands, preventing him from moving.

"Oy, where did that come from, huh?" He shouted, obviously annoyed and surprised.

The bunshin knocked Deidara face down on the floor and he widened the eyes when the real Sakura turned the hands into what looked like green chakra blades and placed both hands on each of his hands. "I don't want to have to do this, but I'll if you don't cooperate." She watched him swallow and continued. "I'll cut off your hands and destroy them in such a way that it can't be sewn back... Unless you hear me."

Deidara stopped struggling and looked up to face the girl above him. He growled in frustration at the embarrassing position he was in. In the distance he saw the ink bird land as the pale shinobi walked slowly toward them. He struggled again when Sai took out the clay bags from his belt and then he felt the weight of the bunshin disappear, he sat down immediately but did not lose the way the chakra blades came closer to his hands. "I'm listening." He said reluctantly.

Sakura smiled once more and approached his ear as if to tell a secret to an old friend. "Itachi has a proposition for you." He heard her whisper and he was tempted to push her and scream that he wanted nothing of the cursed Uchiha that took him to the Akatsuki, but when she pulled away and he saw a compassionate and almost hopeful glow in the green of her eyes, he nodded, ready to at least hear what she had to say.

* * *

Shikamaru invaded the clearing where he felt the chakra of his teammates and he did not miss the way one of their chakras was too weak to be unconcerned. He could have come back earlier, he cursed himself for having rested too much on the grass looking at the beautiful blue sky that was still over his head despite the unpleasant scenery in front of him, even though a voice in the back of his mind screamed that he was so incapacitated by the excessive use of chakra that would be a dead weight in this fight. He looked around and saw burned trees, blood strewn all over the floor and black lines everywhere.

Kakuzu gritted his teeth as the last porcelain mask broke after a lightning attack from the masked ninja of Konoha, he decided that he should end that fight before they killed him. He cursed all for lowering his guard against this group, but he was glad he had killed at least one of them so far. Only the sight of horror on everyone's face as he struck one directly in the chest was satisfactory enough.

Kakuzu turned to feel a chakra right behind him and narrowed the eyes at seeing the blond girl right in front of him, coming off the ground with the copy ninja holding her by the shoulders. He heard about the technique of hiding in the ground used by Hatake Kakashi, he still found it completely useless for them to think for a single second that a surprise attack would be effective against him, so he smiled. They were too close, it was a stupid mistake but he was not complaining, it would be easier to kill them that way. He smiled even more and reached out his arm to hit them just as he had done before.

He sent one of the line tentacles to the pair that was a short distance from him and frowned when he felt the arm paralyzed in the air, realizing belatedly that he was completely unable to move any part of his body. "I'll borrow your body for a minute." The female voice echoed in his mind and all he wanted was to put that girl's head off, but he could not. "Don't curse me like that, you weird guy. Believe me, it's much worse for me than for you, the last place I want to be is in your mind."

Shikamaru watched while Kakashi took Ino's body and laid her slowly on the ground and walked toward Kakuzu forming the seals that flooded his hand with a lightning chakra. Shikamaru looked away from the scene and walked in slow steps, once more cursing the lack of chakra in his body, he wanted to run towards Asuma who was bent over Choji's body, breathing with visible difficulty. He refused to look in the direction of Kakashi, not caring about the death of the Akatsuki more than he cared for his best friend.

When he reached Choji's body and knelt beside him, he heard the crackling sound of lightning finding flesh soon after he heard Kakashi scream for Ino to undo the jutsu, indicating that he would kill the man who had hurted Choji. Shikamaru was frozen in place and barely felt when Ino pushed him aside and put the hands with chakra-flooded over Choji's open chest. "I can't." Ino's choked voice took him out of his stupor and he looked between her, Choji and Azuma. "I'll not be able to..." Ino wept and looked at him with desperate eyes. "Go get Sakura, now." Ino screamed at his face, making him wince.

Asuma put a hand on her shoulder and she dropped the head and an anguished sob echoed through the now silent forest.

Shikamaru looked at the lifeless body of his best friend and at that moment the day did not look so beautiful anymore. The small smile that adorned the corner of Choji's lips was a farewell, he knew. "No ..." He heard himself whispering but his voice seemed so distant like the Choji's life.

Choji opened the mouth as if to say something to them but the gleam in his eyes and the small smile that returned when he realized he was no longer able to speak, would have to be enough for a farewell. Choji looked at Asuma, his mentor and man he respected most, after his father, and he wished he could say how much he admired him. He looked at Ino who had disheveled hair and a desperate gleam in the blue eyes, but none of it made her any less beautiful than she was and he wanted to tell her that. With one last glance at Shikamaru, his best friend, he looked up at the sky and smiled wider admiring the beauty of the blue sky for what would be the last time in his short life. He did not regret coming in front of the blow that was for Asuma, he would do the same thing a thousand times if he had to. With one last breath, he's gone.

Ino fell on him and screamed, Kakashi turned his back taking enough of death before his eyes for a life, Asuma remained frozen in place, on the knees beside his student and the kindest person he had the pleasure of to know. Shikamaru did not move, did not speak, did not cry, at that moment he did not feel anything.


	31. Redemption

Naruto was in front of Pain, he jumped off the frog where he was and ran towards an immense and obviously strong rhino that was racing toward him. He made a mental note when discovered that the only female among the Pains was able to summon giant beasts, now he only needed to discover the abilities of the other opponents, he just hoped he would not discover their abilities in the worst possible way.

Naruto managed to lure the orange-haired kunoichi into Gamabunta's mouth, where he managed to form a rasengan in both hands, even before she realized where she was. When he left Gamabunta's mouth and saw the defeated kunoichi beside him, he thought that victory had been too easy. Before he could think about it, the shinobi that Anko's squad had defeated before, jumped at him. He concluded, thinking that it had been too easy was a mistake.

After what seemed like hours, three Pains were lying on the ground in front of the gates of Konoha but Naruto was exhausted. He clenched his fists tightly as he concentrated on deflecting the attacks of one of the Pains. Before he could divert, one of them grabbed him by the hands and held him firmly, preventing any movement. He realized belatedly the ability of that Pain was to absorb chakra. Naruto waited for him to absorb as much chakra as he wanted, enough to turn him into a frog-shaped stone statue so that Naruto could escape and attack the Akatsuki leader who was approaching him.

"Why you don't tell me where your real body is and we're done with it... Nagato." Naruto said a little breathless and irritated by all this unnecessary struggle.

"So, Itachi actually revealed the Akatsuki secrets to the Konoha leaders." Nagato affirmed through Yahiko's body. Before Naruto had a chance to say something about it, he produced a rod and slipped it into Naruto's right shoulder.

Naruto gasped when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and took a few steps back. He should know better than lowering the guard before an enemy. Before he could counterattack, he felt his body being pulled by uncontrollable force as Pain reached out to him. Naruto felt the air leave his lungs as he was grabbed by the neck and thrown down hard enough to crack the concrete beneath him.

He could not hold back a cry of pain when the same shaft that had pierced his shoulder pierced both hands, pinning him to the ground. "No matter what you have planned, it will not happen." Naruto said through gritted teeth as he watched Pain crouch beside him. "We're going to thwart your plans and stop any crazy dreams of destruction you have."

"I don't have a dream of destruction." Pain stood up and created another shank, holding it firmly above Naruto's back. "All I want is peace."

"You don't know what it means pea-" Naruto stopped talking and gave a cry of pain when he felt that damn rod piercing his left shoulder. "You bastard." He grunted as he felt the rod being pulled out just to stand above one of his legs. He closed the eyes tightly to prepare for the pain that was to follow.

* * *

_In this farewell. There's no blood. There's no alibi_  
_'Cause I've drawn regret from the truth of a thousand lies_

_So let mercy come and wash away_

* * *

"That's no way to treat a companion shinobi." Jiraya's voice made Naruto open his eyes and sigh with relief. "You two trained with the same master, you should be friends."

Pain turned to face Jiraya but before he could counter that statement, Jiraya kicked him hard in the chest sending him away from Naruto. "You can use some help, I guess." Jiraya sneered as he knelt in front of Naruto.

"Just get this damn thing out of my hands." Naruto grunted through clenched teeth.

Jiraya laughed lightly and did as he asked, relieving his pupil of the pain. "Let's get this over with?" Jiraya said in a condescending tone.

"I thought you were facing your own fight." Naruto snapped as he stood beside his master.

"Well... That beautiful lady left me behind and disappeared into a beautiful cloud of papers." Jiraya scratched the back of the neck.

"You have an incredible ability to scare the female population." Naruto scoffed.

"That was the worst insult I ever received." Jiraya said, looking really offended.

The conversation was interrupted when three Pains rushed toward the pair. "I think the time for a break, over." Jiraya joked and ran beside Naruto towards the three mighty shinobi who ran to them. Jiraya looked at the tired but smiling face of Naruto and smiled back.

No blow was fired, no jutsu was made. Naruto and Jiraya stopped halfway as they saw the piercings that decorated the faces of the Pains before them, turning to dust in a matter of seconds, in the next moment, three bodies fell motionless on the ground.

"What happened?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Tsune's scroll for kazekage." Jiraya explained.

Naruto looked at the master and nodded. He looked up at the sky realizing they had company and Kuro landed on a tree next to them.

"You've found him?" Naruto asked to the bird of Sakura that he had the slight impression that he did not like him much since they were children. When the bird flew to the sky, Naruto had his answer. He waved goodbye to Jiraya and ran after Kuro.

* * *

_What I've done_  
_I'll face myself to cross out what I've become_  
_Erase myself and let go of_  
_What I've done_

* * *

Somewhere at the ends of the Windy Country, three figures jumped over the river running toward a cave. One of them did not want to remember the terrifying and painful hours he had spent in that place. Again he thanked Naruto's companions who saved him from certain death, especially the girl with colored hair and a hard-to-forget name that matched her perfectly.

He remembered a time when she stood in front of the Uchiha to save the boy from the fury of Shukaku, those penetrating green eyes that defied him, at that time filled him with even more desire to kill. But those same eyes were the first thing he saw when he returned from what seemed to be death. She and the Uchiha he had once threatened saved him from Akatsuki's hands and that girl healed him completely. He was grateful to them and would return the favor.

"Is here?" Kankuro asked uncertainly as he passed above the pieces of puppets scattered on the floor.

Gaara nodded. When the Uchiha took him from the hands of that statue when the Akatsuki members were trying to extract Shukaku, he was too bewildered to pay much attention, all he could think of was the piercing pain that was going through each part of his body. At times he opened the eyes and through his clouded eyes he saw some glimpses of pink as the kunoichi fought for her life against an army of puppets. No, she had fought for her life and his, he corrected himself mentally.

"There's nothing here." Temari said a little wary.

Gaara walked over to a stone wall and looked at his brother before breaking the genjutsu. He heard Temari gasp at the sight of the giant and abominable statue that appeared before them after the genjutsu had been broken.

"It was in this thing that you-" Kankuro stopped in mid-sentence for fear of ending it and reopening old wounds. It had been only a few months since the attack that almost took Gaara's life, none of them talked about it.

Tsunade had sent the coordinates that Kakashi had collected after the Kazekage's rescue mission. After all the confusion to retrieve him and Sakura's abduction, followed by Itachi's return, no one had remembered the statue that was used for bijuus extraction, until Neji mentioned in one of the planning reunions against the Konoha attack. He reminded everyone of what he had seen inside the cave with his byakugan that day, making a crucial point in all this possible war.

Gathering the necessary information Tsunade sent a message to the Kazekage asking for help to destroy the statue, she provided the coordinates of the place and informed him about the attack being planned against Konoha. When he received the scroll containing this information he waited patiently until the day of the attack, where she would send a message telling him to follow through with the plan.

All this brought them to the cave where they were. He used his sand to surround the statue completely and with some hand seals the  _sand coffin_  crushed the stone statue, turning it into dust.

"Done." Gaara declared with satisfaction and left the cave accompanied by his brothers, pleased to bring down that thing that haunted his thoughts for months now.

* * *

_Put to rest what you thought of me_  
_While I clean this slate with the hands of uncertainty_

_So let mercy come and wash away_

* * *

Nagato gasped as he felt his invocation Gedō Mazō disappearing. Konan looked at him wide-eyed as he saw the rods that had always been present on his back since he summoned that huge statue after Yahiko's death, disappeared. She was confused when a little color returned to his face and although he was still noticeably weakened, his physical appearance was much better than she had seen in years.

"Nagato." She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Is gone." He murmured in a hoarse voice. "Gedō Mazō, it's gone."

Konan froze at this information. If the statue that allowed them to extract the bijuus had been destroyed, all of Akatsuki's plan to rule the world was over. "What do we do now?" She asked uncertainly.

Nagato looked at her with empty eyes and she felt a pang of pain in her chest. She would go to the end of the world for him and see him so helpless made her heart bleed. "Doesn't matter." She whispered and stroked his red hair, pulling the fringe of his eyes to face him better. "No matter what, I'll always be here for you." She stated truthfully. She looked up as she felt an approaching chakra and narrowed the eyes to the intruder.

"Uzumaki Naruto." Nagato whispered.

Naruto approached the pair in front of him and tried to keep his features neutral like he saw Itachi and Sasuke do so easily all the time. He was more than surprised to see the thin, apparently sick man in front of him. He thought that the villain who was planning to destroy the world through endless wars would be far more terrifying. But he learned very early on never to underestimate an opponent.

"Uzumaki Nagato?" He asked, not sure of the man's identity in front of him.

Konan moved closer to Nagato, holding his weight against her, willing to run as fast as she could away from Konoha in the first attack movement of the blond boy who was standing in front of them. Nagato was almost no chakra, despite possessing the Rinnegan and being a skilled shinobi, losing the connection to the statue and the chakra connectors that kept the other Pains  _living,_  charged a high price on him. All she wanted was to get him, the lifeless body of Yahiko and run back to Amekagure without looking back. But she would wait, she would follow the order he gave, as she always did.

"You intend to kill us?" Konan asked after a few seconds of silence that seemed like hours to her.

"Huh?" Naruto asked half-dazed, taking the eyes off Nagato and concentrating on Konan for the first time. He shook the head and frantically waved his hands in front of him. "I'll not kill you."

"So what do you want?" Nagato's husky voice echoed in the hollow of the giant tree where they were.

Naruto smiled. It was exactly that question he was waiting for.

* * *

_For what I've done_  
_I'll start again and whatever pain may come_  
_Today this ends. I'm forgiving_

* * *

"All this time he was lying to us?" Konan asked with anger and indignation tied in her voice.

Naruto nodded. "Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei are sure that he is Obito and despite being an Uchiha, he isn't Uchiha Madara."

Nagato stared at the floor for a few seconds trying to process all the information he had received regarding all the lies on which his belief was founded, once again in his life he felt as if the world were falling above him. Uchiha Madara sought him years ago when Yahiko was still alive and made a proposal. When Yahiko left and left his dreams in Nagato's hands to perform them, the supposed Madara came again and Nagato was so desperate for a chance to keep the promise he made to the best friend he had not even thought he was being used.

Akatsuki was actually another tool in the hands of an insane Uchiha and the worst of it was that neither he nor anyone else knew what this Obito was planning when they completed the bijuus extractions. Perhaps all this anticipatory confrontation with Konoha was for good, after all.

"Konoha has a proposition for you." Naruto continued. "Itachi said he found an ancient scroll, written by Yato-"

"Yahiko." Konan interrupted.

"Yahiko..." Naruto laughed nervously realizing the woman's irritation. "In the scroll was written that Akatsuki's goal was to end the wars and pacify the five nations."

Nagato sighed and looked up at the blue sky. He leaned back in the tree where Konan sat him after they left the hollowed trunk, leaving behind the devices he wore to support the full weight of the rods he carried on his back. He thought he could get used to living without it, even if it meant he and Konan would finally have to say goodbye to Yahiko, definitively.

"Yahiko wanted peace, which is why I continued with his dream, which is why Akatsuki still exists." He stated, and even though from the outside he seemed convinced of his statement, inside he was not so sure if all he had done was really for peace. He proclaimed himself a _god_ , used people and killed whoever tried to interfere in his plans, unaware that in fact he was being used for what was probably something even worse than he had planned.

It was hard to admit that everything he did so far was cruel. He thought all this time that the end would justify his actions. When the Akatsuki ruled the world he would finally make peace reign, but the cost would be too high, maybe at the end of all there would be no world to pacify. He planned to cleanse the world of bad people through wars and forgot completely how himself, Konan and Yahiko had suffered because of the wars. He was so lost in his own pain, willing to show real pain to the world, that he forgot that peace could come in a simpler way.

He hated all the truths that Naruto spit in his face minutes ago. If he had not been so tired, he might have attacked the challenging boy, but then, after being forced to listen to everything the young guy had to say, he reflected on everything and assumed at least for himself that he was wrong, if Yahiko could see him now he would surely be disappointed.

Because of the pain of the loss he became so blind that he distorted the dream so beautiful that Yahiko had created. He became the monster he feared as a child.

* * *

_What I've done_  
_I'll face myself to cross out what I've become_  
_Erase myself and let go of_  
_What I've done_

* * *

Do you think we have not tried it before?" Konan screamed angrily and felt Nagato's thin hand on hers. He squeezed her hand and forced her to sit beside him. She obeyed and as he laid the head on her shoulder, she felt the heart race, something she had not felt in a long time.

"Is Tsunade so good as you say?" Nagato asked with a twinge of skepticism in the voice.

"She's better." Naruto stated. "If there's anyone who can restore your chakra and fix you, is Baa-chan."

"You're offering me a possibility of healing, support for the Akatsuki-"

"If you go back to the original plans and give up completely this insanity of wars and everything else you've planned." Naruto interrupted him.

Nagato tilted the head to look at Konan and all he saw was loyalty. He knew she would accept whatever he decided and he felt the strength to continue, even after seeing everything crumble before him once more, having her around was all he needed. He leaned his head against her shoulder again, enjoying that contact he had not had for years, because of the rods. "It all looks very good, but even if I'm not the enemy, Tobi will still be a threat."

"He'll not be a threat after the Uchiha brothers finish him off." Naruto smiled widely.

Konan sighed and leaned against Nagato. "If we agree to go with you and hear what Tsunade has to say, you make sure that neither we nor the members of Akatsuki, except Tobi, will be attacked."

Naruto scratched the head nervously. "I can't guarantee anything about the others since they're facing their own battles while we talk here." He reached out and helped Konan put Nagato standing, propping him up on one side as she propped him up on the other. "I can assure you both will not be hurt."

"If you wanted to attack us, you would have." Konan decided to accept his word.

"I promise you'll see the peace your friend Yahiko wanted so much." Naruto said with a smile as he led them to the gates of Konoha.

"I hope you keep your promise, Naruto." Nagato was willing to try one more time. If he could walk with his own legs and make Akatsuki the pacification organization for which it was raised, he would be satisfied. He received the chance for redemption and this time he would do everything right. He looked at Konan of the corner of his eyes and when she gave him a slight smile, the pain he was feeling, both physical and emotional, became easier to bear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter belongs to Linkin Park (I've done).


	32. Agreements

There were a few burned trees, the ground was partially destroyed, and the drops of blood on the ground were evidence that this fight was getting more intense. He was pleased that the blood was not his or his younger brother's.

He had not used Susano'o and hoped this fight would end before that was necessary. He forbade Sasuke to use his newly created Sunano'o, because it would consume a lot of chakra and that was dangerous. He knew that Sakura had forbidden him to use his as well and he knew Sasuke would tell her if he did, but he could not risk Sasuke's life, so if necessary he would use all his remaining chakra.

He attested that Uchiha Obito was a definitely a skillful shinobi. If it had not been for Sakura to have realized the figth pattern the man used to hide parts of the body in the kamui and the analysis she and Kakashi made based on the fight she had with him before being trapped in that torture room inside the Uchiha base, he and Sasuke could have a difficult time before they discovered that failure by themselves.

"You're going to need more than that to defeat me." Obito said with a little disdain as he held his bruised arm in the chest, blood soaking his dark cape.

Sasuke looked at Itachi with the typical Uchiha arrogance stamped on his features. It was obvious that Obito was in pain and it was obvious that he was surprised to be losing that fight that he was convinced he would win from the beginning. Itachi gave a small smile to his brother, knowing that he was thinking the same. It was only a matter of time before Obito fell, but Itachi wanted to get some information from the man before this fight was over.

They heard footsteps approaching and looked at the figure who walked to where they were and positioned himself next to Obito. "Deidara-senpai." He screamed in that almost childish voice and Sasuke narrowed the eyes at how easily the man had to act, was so non-Uchiha that he even doubted the legitimacy of that man's sharingan. "Don't tell me you hurt Sakura-chan?"

Itachi knew that Sakura was strong enough to deal with Deidara. He knew Sasori was far more skillful than the blond and explosive partner, but looking at Deidara unharmed in front of him made him feel a pang of worry. He told himself that Sakura would have followed the plan, he knew she would not let herself be defeated easily. He took a deep breath and waited for the scene to unfold before him.

"Yeah. She killed Sasori no danna. She deserved what received." Deidara replied with a small smile. "I think you were a little less lucky, huh?" Deidara pointed at the wounded arm of the masked man.

"But now that Deidara-senpai is here, Tobi no longer needs to worry." Obito scratched the neck and turned his back to the three shinobis, walking toward a tree, willing to lie back and watch Deidara fight the Uchiha brothers. Before he could reach his intended destination, he felt a stab in the neck and looked toward Deidara who had a syringe in the hand. "What did you-" He staggered forward and was caught by Deidara.

"You lied to all of us, all this time, huh?" Deidara said quietly in his ear, and Deirada's low, calm voice was more frightening than the screams he usually used to express himself most of the time.

"Sakura?" Obito asked in a hoarse, sleepy voice, feeling his body slowly losing consciousness. He thought that girl was more of a problem than she was worth and tried to think how she might have discovered his true identity but his mind was too fogged up to ratiocinate properly.

"Yeah, she saw behind your mask, Uchiha." Deidara spat with disgust that surname that had so tormented him. He never thought he could hate an Uchiha any more than he hated Itachi but he learned he could. It was not Itachi's fault that the Akatsuki existed, it was not Itachi's fault that he was dragged to a place where he never wanted to be, doing things he never wanted to do. It was this man's fault in his arms.

Deidara leaned against Obito's still body, holding him by the waist as he placed his arm over his own shoulder. He looked between Itachi and Sasuke and stared at the older Uchiha. "I accept your proposal, bastard."

Itachi put the katana in the scabbard on his back and walked to Deidara. He held out a hand and nodded with a small smile as Deidara squeezed his hand, sealing the deal. "Sakura promised me shelter in Konoha and protection should Iwagakure's shinobi come after me." Deidara said firmly.

"Is correct." Itachi nodded. "Negotiations with the leader are being arranged, but even if he doesn't accept it, you have done your part in the agreement and your protection and shelter will be guaranteed, no matter what happens with Akatsuki." Itachi pointed to Obito unconscious, to emphasize the part that Deidara fulfilled in the agreement that Sakura proposed.

Itachi let go of Deidara's hand and walked to Sasuke, knowing that Deidara would follow.

"Your girl said the effect of this drug is five hours." Deidara shouted from his position behind the Uchiha brothers.

"Konoha is soon ahead. Uchiha Obito will be tied in a cell before the drug ends." Itachi stated with a twinge of irritation in his voice. He had not forgotten what Obito had done to Sakura while she was an Akatsuki hostage. He would even make sure to tie Obito with chakra suppressors before tossing him into a cell.

* * *

When the four men approached the gates of Village, Itachi stopped and stared at a tall tree, not noticing the looks he was receiving from Deidara and Sasuke.

"Aniki?" Sasuke asked, genuinely curious about what he was looking for, so intensely.

Itachi took the katana from its scabbard and with a single blow he cut the tree, forcing Zetsu out of the hiding place where he was camouflaging. Itachi wasted no time with unnecessary movements, knowing the sneaky habits of the strange man. In the second that Zetsu made the mistake of staring Itachi in the eyes, he was trapped in the tsukyomi without having the slightest chance to react.

When Zetsu fell to the ground and the protective shell that was always present on the shoulders detached. Itachi took a step back, but not to get away from the man, it was by the impact of the information he pulled from the dark mind of Zetsu.

"Aniki?" Sasuke's worried voice called for a second time. Sasuke had never seen that look on Itachi's face and it startled him. "What you saw?"

Deidara frowned at the scene in front of him. He never liked Zetsu, that strange man terrified him and that was something, since his partner was a living marionette and it never frightened him. He was curious and intrigued about what Itachi could have seen in Zetsu's mind that was able to make the man always stoic, have such a shocked expression on his face.

"Obito was the least of our problems, apparently." Itachi stated calmly, his expression completely normal once more. He pulled a scroll from his bag tied around the belt, using a bandage to cover Zetsu's body as if he wanted to mummify him. He used one of the Jiraya's seals and attached it to the bandage, sealing Zetsu before putting the body on a scroll.

"Oy, what are you doing?" Deidara shouted, completely intrigued.

"He's not human." Itachi stated.

* * *

Deidara threw the unconscious body of Obito on the floor of Tsunade's office, without any ceremony or concern. He put the hands behind his back and stared at the blond woman in front of him as the Uchiha brothers stood in one corner of the room.

"You knocked him over with the drug Sakura gave to you?" Tsunade asked without bothering to introduce herself or make small talk.

Deidara nodded but kept the mouth shut. He was not the respectful and polite type but he knew how to recognize a leader when he saw one. He heard rumors that this woman had the worst temperament among the five nations. And if she was worse than Itachi's girl he did not want to test her. Then as a single moment of wisdom he decided to behave and listen to what she had to say.

"Did you accept the conditions my shinobi proposed?" She questioned one more time.

"Hai." He voiced this time, not sure if she accepted the silence well.

"Good." Tsunade propped the elbows on the table, folded her hands, and rested the chin on them. "You did your part." She pointed to Obito who was lying on the floor. "You'll be given a place to live temporarily until you have enough money to support yourself. If you take the oath of loyalty to Konoha, you can go on missions." She narrowed the eyes at him. "There will be ANBU with you on every mission you make until your loyalty is certified."

Deidara listened attentively to every word. He did not like being followed by an ANBU all the time, but he did not blame the woman for not trusting him. Until a few hours ago he was the enemy. He just nodded.

"After two years you'll decide whether to stay in Konoha or not. Until then..." She stood and folded the arms across her chest. "If you do any harm to any Konoha citizen or a resident ally of Suna I'll kill you, myself."

He knew that this was no empty threat and he would not take those words lightly.

Before he could nod or reply, she continued. "I don't know how the negotiations between your leader and my shinobi continued, but you may decide to follow your leader for the Akatsuki if-"

"I don't go back to this bunch of liars, manipulators, never again!" Deidara screamed not realizing that he had lost the composure at the mere mention of the Akatsuki.

Tsunade did not like being interrupted, but Uchiha Itachi had described the personalities of each member of the organization, previously. She knew the aversion that the scandalous boy in front of her had with respect to Akatsuki and she proved firsthand that it was not an exaggeration of the Uchiha. "Right, brat." She lifted a hand to stop him from continuing to scream. "First of all, you don't yell at me, ever." She raised an eyebrow at him to emphasize her point. "Second, you understand with the Akatsuki's leader when and if the time comes." She sighed. "You're a Konoha shinobi from now on and you'll respond directly to me until I give up all this crap Hokage, so be nice or I'll kick you out that window back to your country."

Deidara never regretted saying what he wanted, he was spontaneous and did not have much patience but at that moment he understood why that woman had a fame that ran through the five nations. "Yes ma'am." That's all he could say.

* * *

Sakura and Sai ran toward the monstrous chakra they were feeling nearby. After explaining the proposal to Deidara, repeating every word Itachi had said, without changing a single comma, she handed the syringe with the drug that would knock Uchiha Obito and waited for him to fulfill his part in the agreement. She and Sai left him behind, trusting that he would overthrow Obito when the opportunity arose. Itachi was so sure that Deidara would seize the opportunity to be free that Sakura was almost completely confident that everything would turn out well.

There was a smell of blood, the chakras of the old genin team of Gai and Yamato could be felt even if Kisame's massive chakra overlapped theirs easily. "We'd better hurry, someone might be hurt." Sai stated and she was sure he could also feel the low Tenten chakra.

Sakura jumped into the clearing and sighed with relief when a Sai ink tiger took off prevented Samehada from giving a fatal blow to the fallen girl. Sakura ran toward the pair and looked at Kisame with a serious look. "Hey, big guy. Do you want to hear something interesting?" She asked with a little uncertainty.

Kisame was annoyed to have been interrupted in the best part of the fight but propped Samehada on his right shoulder and stared at Itachi's little girl who was obviously waiting for the opportunity to heal the girl lying on the floor between them. "Of you... always, little one." He said with a smile and did not lose the way her shoulders relaxed with those words.

Sakura knelt beside Tenten and was relieved when she saw Kisame's clones of water battling the boys, turning in pools of water into the clay floor. She poured healing chakra over the open wound in the kunoichi's belly, but she did not take her eyes off Kisame. "Did you know that Uchiha Madara that took you to Akatsuki is actually Uchiha Obito?" She asked, hoping he was not involved in Obito's plot.

Kisame felt the own smile disappear with that statement. He suspected Itachi knew he had been taken to Akatsuki by Madara, since Itachi himself had also been taken by him. He joined the organization because Uchiha Madara promised to create a world without lies where people could live their lives without the lies invented by the rotten leaders of the hidden villages. He had the slight impression that what Sakura would say next would prove that the promise of the supposed Madara was also a lie.

"Who is Uchiha Obito?" He asked without humor.

Sakura stood up holding the kunoichi who was still unconscious due to lack of chakra, which was consumed by Samehada. Kisame watched as she handed the kunoichi to a Hyuuga and walked to stand in front of him.  _'So brave.'_  He thought as he watched her position where he could easily hit her with Samehada and that gesture made him smiled again.

"He is a shinobi who was pronounced dead years ago, long before the massacre of the Uchiha clan. He was a genin of the Yondaime." She watched as he narrowed his eyes at that information and continued. "He eluded the Akatsuki leader with a promise to create a peaceful world, but none of us have figured out what his true intentions are."

"And what does this have to do with me, little one?" Kisame pushed, not liking the way this conversation was going.

"Deidara agreed to help us capture Tobi, who is actually Uchiha Obito who pretended to be Uchiha Madara all this time." She tried to be less confusing as possible.

"Tobi is the man who claimed to be Madara and took me to Akatsuki with the promise of creating a world without lies?" Kisame asked with obvious irritation in the voice.

Sakura did not know what kind of promises Obito had made to persuade people to join his cause, whatever it was, but she thought he would say what people wanted to hear. Since he has proven to be good at manipulation. "I don't know what lies he told you to take you to Akatsuki, Kisame-san. But yes, Tobi is the supposed Madara."

"You have something to propose to me." He declared.

She nodded. "Naruto will make a proposal to the Akatsuki leader. Obito will be taken to Konoha and judged. You can join Konoha or follow your leader back to the Akatsuki who will have new goals starting today if he accepts the Konoha proposal, of course."

Kisame was silent for a few seconds, then he buried Samehada on the floor and ran a hand over his face. "You're saying that Akatsuki's over, but I can join Itachi in your village, right?"

Sakura nodded, knowing that in Kisame's mind this made more sense than all the political rigmarole she was spitting.

He sighed and tied Samehada behind him. "I hate hidden villages, but I'll follow you to see how far it goes."

Sakura smiled at him knowing that he would not hurt Konoha but she knew she could not be sure if he would stay or disappear when no one was watching. And if he decided to leave she would not stop him.

* * *

Sakura and Sai went back to the place where the fight between Itachi, Sasuke and Obito should be happening. They found a small amount of destruction in the local landscape, but there was no sign of them or Deidara. Sai used his trackers to check and two minutes later they had confirmation that they were inside the gates of Konoha.

Sakura and Sai walked toward the gates, followed by Kisame and Yamato's squadron. Tenten was still unconscious, now in the arms of Lee who insisted annoyingly to carry her until Neji completely lost the patience he had and handed the kunoichi to him.

From afar they saw all the members of the squadrons who had left Konoha that morning to face the Akatsuki who wanted to destroy their house and start a war, except Itachi and Sasuke. Sakura ran, leaving everyone behind when she heard Ino's desperate cry that was walking beside Asuma carrying a body in the arms. She hoped it was a wound she could heal and from a distance it was not possible to tell whether was Shikamaru or not, but she felt a pang of desperation at the thought of one of her seriously injured teammates or worse.

"Ino." She screamed and ran even faster when saw that Asuma was carrying Choji who was bathed in crimson. When she got close enough, Ino threw the arms around her shoulders and Sakura felt her body harden at the sight of Choji's closed eyes. "How?" She asked in a low voice as she hugged Ino tightly.

"The freak with five hearts." Ino spoke between sobs. "Crossed his chest with one of those things..." She released Sakura and looked at her friend with red eyes and tears. "He jumped in front of Asuma-sensei before the tentacle hit him, I couldn't ..."

Sakura tried to calm her down but she did not know what to say. "You tried your best, I know that." She put both hands on Ino's shoulders and felt a lump in her throat at the thought of the unbearable pain of losing a childhood friend and teammate. She remembered the day she discovered that Itachi had left without saying goodbye and every time she had not heard from him. The grief of not knowing that the person you love and care about is alive or not. She imagined that Ino was feeling even worse than that.

Naruto was still supporting Nagato with Konan's help. He watched the scene in front of him and felt a sharp pain in his chest. "I could-" He heard Nagato say before being interrupted by Konan.

"You're too weak for that." Konan said loud enough to get everyone's attention.

"What could you do?" Naruto asked, full of hope in the least possibility of recovering the life of Choji although it seemed completely impossible.

"Rinne Tensei." Nagato said.

"Nagato, no." Konan scolded, not caring about Naruto's annoyed look because her to interrupt again. "You don't have chakra to stand on. You missed a lot of chakra when you lost connection with Gedō Mazō, if you try to resurrect this boy, you're going to die." She said in an almost desperate tone.

"I have chakra." Sakura stated, leaving Ino's side and walking towards them. "I can restore your chakra." She said almost breathless at the thought of the possibility of a jutsu capable of bringing someone back to life. She decided to ask how this was possible later and focused on the possibility of bringing Choji back.

"Tsunade's apprentice." Konan stated and looked Sakura up and down.

Sakura stared at the woman in front of her and remembered Itachi mentioning her name was Konan. "Haruno Sakura." She bowed respectfully. "Please, if there is a possibility of bringing Choji back, I'll restore your chakra." She looked at the red-haired man with purple eyes in front of her, realizing that this was the Rinnegan's carrier. "Please." She begged.

"Sakura-chan can do that. She healed Gaara after what you did to him." Naruto said with certainty loaded in his voice and Sakura thanked the confidence that he had in her.

"It was you who prevented the extraction of Bijuu." Nagato said without emotion. "Were you able to heal the Jinchuuriki?" He asked skeptically and curiously.

"Gaara." She corrected him between clenched teeth. She always hated how everyone called Naruto of Jinchuuriki with obvious contempt, when in fact he never asked to be the bearer of the nine-tailed fox, she imagined the hell that Gaara had passed and unlike Naruto, he had no one to protect him . "And yes, I healed him, he was completely no chakra and almost lifeless, I can do that to you." She activated the seal on the forehead and took a few steps toward him, closing the distance between them as black lines formed through her body.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto gasped, impressed.

"Byakugou." Kakashi said in astonishment.

Sakura placed the hands on his shoulder before Konan could stop her and flooded his body with chakra. She ignored how the orange eyes of the woman, widened as she saw Nagato changing. The thin cheeks were filled, the ribs were no longer visible when the muscles filled the space underneath the skin, the arms and legs received the same treatment and he was able to stand by himself again.

Sakura took a step back and tried to control her breath. She found so much damage in the chakra pathways, in the veins, in the muscles that she wondered how that man was still alive. She detected several flaws in the lungs and other organs that still needed healing, but she already knew where to start after healing Itachi. "I can heal you... completely." She said in a weak voice.

"Do it." Konan took her hand and Sakura saw so much hope reflected in her eyes that she nodded without thinking she should be talking to Tsunade about it before agreeing, since they were the enemy.

She wiped the sweat from her brow and deactivated the seal that had been almost drained after this healing session, she would have to store a lot of chakra to recover. "I have to do some more research, but I already know where to start. I can restore your health completely." She looked at Choji who was still in Asuma's arms. "But you're going to have to bring him back." She stared at those purple eyes and waited.

Nagato was still petrified instead. He realized she was waiting for him to do something. He could not believe she'd returned muscle and chakra to his body in such a short time. He decided he would trust that girl and if he wanted her to finish what started he would have to do his part. He made a sign with his hands that were now completely different from a few minutes ago. "Gedō: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu."

Choji who had been placed on the floor, opened the eyes and gasped as if the air was filling his lungs after holding the breath for a long time. Ino ran as she knelt beside him and threw her arms around his neck as Shikamaru fell beside them with their eyes on his best friend's face, as if he could not believe it was real. Asuma laughed out loud, making Gai laugh with him. "This is impossible." Asuma said in disbelief but genuine happiness was stamped on his face.

"Arigatō." Sakura bowed once more and turned to hug Ino, but was stopped by a hand on her wrist.

Nagato released her arm as she stared at him. "Arigatō Gozaimasu, Sakura-san."

"You'll keep your promise, will not you?" Konan asked with a hint of uncertainty.

"Sakura-chan, always keep her promises." Naruto said with a chuckle and pulled Sakura to join the crowd that was around Choji.

"I'm hungry." Choji said, running the hand over his belly, making everyone laugh.

"You need a shower, that blood stinks." Sakura heard Ino mocking as she tried to wipe away the tears that kept falling. She looked once more at the blue-haired woman and the red-haired man and wondered how these seemingly desperate people came to walk such a dark path. She was glad they were on the same side now.

* * *


	33. New beginnings

After entering through the gates of Konoha, All went directly to the Hokage's office. Nagato was surprised to see in writing the agreement he had made verbally with Naruto, after he and Konan read each line of the contract, they signed with blood, literally. He felt relief and some peace knowing that Akatsuki was once again an organization that propagates peace and contains conflicts among the Villages, but this time they would have the support of Konoha. Tsunade did not know how Suna would get this news, so she decided to send Naruto to deal with Gaara, since he was much more likely to appease the moods of the Kazekage, and that would be part of his early training to become Hokage.

With a few remaining members on the Akatsuki, Nagato reluctantly accepted Deidara's defection, who was more than happy to never wear that black cape again. Tsunade allowed him to enter ANBU's explosives department, and she swore there were tears in his eyes after that statement.

Kisame decided to leave with Konan and Nagato back to Amegakure, even though Tsunade had warned that he could not give protection against Kirigakure if they decided to chase and kill him for the crimes he had committed. He and Itachi had a little fight in the training camp of the team seven, ignoring Sakura who said it would be much simpler a farewell hug. After fighting Itachi promised that he would go to Ame whenever Sakura went to a Nagato healing session.

Kakuzu's body was cremated with a fire jutsu while Hidan's remained buried and sealed in the forest. Konan and Nagato took Yahiko's body, while the other Pains's bodies were cremated. Jiraya followed his old apprentices to Ame, happy to change the events and proud of having finished well between Akatsuki and Konoha. He did not lose the opportunity to insinuate how beautiful Konan was and that Nagato would be a fool if he let her go. He blinked at Nagato as Konan's cheeks turned redder than Uzumaki's hair.

Nagato wanted to say that Konan loved Yahiko, but he chose not to open ancient wounds. He and Konan had been close together for so long and Yahiko had left for years. He would be lying to himself if he said he had no interest in her, he had thought of her this way a few times in recent years, but with the conditions in which he was, completely still and too weak to move on his own, think of something Romantic seemed foolish of him. But now he was a normal man again and Akatsuki was again what Yahiko dreamed it would be, maybe he would follow his master's advice.

He looked at Konan who was looking away and he did not miss the cute way she bit her lower lip and how beautiful she looked with her cheeks flushed. He knew that she loved him as a friend and companion and he loved her back. He held her hand tightly and smiled as her eyes met his. When she squeezed his hand, he decided that when Sakura would heal him completely, he would definitely follow his master's advice.

* * *

The morning sun burst into the living room window, after washing the dishes for breakfast Sakura walked into the living room and enjoyed the beautiful view in front of her. She would never tire of seeing that shirtless man. "They must have gotten there by now." Sakura said as she lay on Itachi's broad chest that lay sprawled on the couch.

He placed the book he was reading on the table beside the sofa and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hn." He nodded.

"I'm happy that everything turned out well." She said with a smile and laid the head on his chest. "But I thought Kisame would stay here with us."

"Kisame hates hidden villages." Itachi replied.

"Yes, just like Deidara hates Uchihas." She said with an amused tone and laughed loudly as Itachi poked her in the ribs.

"I've been talking with Sasuke." When Sakura lifted her head from his chest and stared at him, he continued. "Let's reform the Uchiha district."

Sakura sat up, putting both legs around his hips. "When?"

"When you want." He whispered.

She was really surprised by that statement. She did not understand what he meant and she knew he would understand the silent question she asked. He knew her too well to know what she was thinking without needing to vocalize.

He stroked her face, taking out a few stubborn strands that escaped the ponytail. "Let's demolish everything and rebuild from scratch. We don't want bad memories." He said in such a weak voice that made her want to hug him. "But I want to marry you as soon as possible. I don't know how long it will take to rebuild."

She leaned down and kissed him lightly. "I can wait." She wanted to marry him so quickly as possible as well, but she knew that getting married in the reformed district would mark the rebirth of the Uchiha clan, so she decided. "Let's get married when the district is ready." She said with a smile and was surprised when he turned her over and pinned her down on the couch.

"I want to get married now." He said in an almost childlike tone and Sakura had to hold her laughter with all might. She felt the warm kisses he spread around her neck and completely forgot about what they were talking about.

"Mhm." She nodded and ran a hand through his hair, loosening the ponytail. "More."

"You're not even listening to what I'm saying." Itachi laughed and undid the buttons of the wide shirt she was wearing.

Sakura thought he was saying something, but she could not register, all she could hear was the sound of his hoarse laugh and all she could think of was the wide hands touching every part of her body where she liked most. "Yes, right there." She moaned and grabbed his face, kissing fiercely. When she separated from him after the breathless kiss, she remembered they were in the living room. "Bedroom."

Itachi looked at her with an intensity that made her heart race. "I want you now." He said in a hoarse voice that sent shivers all over her body.

"You know my idiot teammates don't know the meaning of privacy." She tried to argue, knowing that they would be seen by someone, since the window was open and without a curtain and all Konoha shinobi walked the roofs all the time, but when Itachi undid the clothes she still wore and kissed her in places that he knew that it would make her lose all sense, she forgot all the rest and all she had at that moment was him.

"Says." He whispered in her lips as he linked their bodies together in a single movement that made Sakura arch her back involuntarily.

"I love you." She said breathlessly and got lost in him, completely forgetting the open window and the show they were giving to the passing shinobi.

* * *

Sakura walked down the dark corridor, following the masked ANBU to the farthest cell. She got into the cell and when ANBU locked the door behind him she sat in the chair in front of the bed where the prisoner, who had a blindfold, was sitting with one leg stretched out and one arm resting on one of his knees bent.

"I would recognize your scent anywhere, Sakura-chan." He said in a hoarse voice and she thought maybe that tone was something Uchiha.

"Tsunade refused my request to be your nurse." She said and took the bandage from his eyes. "I don't know why they tie this thing in your eyes if you have chakra suppressors."

He smiled at her, and she thought it was the first time she had seen a genuine smile coming from him. "They fear the Uchihas."

"In fact, they fear you." She scoffed and was happy when he laughed. "I brought this." She handed him a bag.

It had been three weeks since he had been thrown into that cell. He remembered opening his eyes to see a furious Itachi holding chakra suppressors on his wrists and neck until Sakura begged, saying that he would die if he had so much chakra drained and explaining that a suppressor was enough to stop him from using the sharingan in a single eye. He watched, still half dizzy from the drug in his system, while Itachi argued with annoyance that he deserved much worse after what he had done to her and something inside him burned with guilt.

After that, he saw them both leave and he felt the chakra suppressor on his neck, absent. He wondered how that girl could move the Uchihas so easily, it could only be some kind of jutsu.

Two days later he was taken to a room where they invaded his head with a mind jutsu. It was painful and unpleasant to have his saddest memories revived through his mind and the worst was to know that now more people would know the hell he lived and more than that, everyone would know the plans that he hid so carefully for so long.

After so many mental torture sessions, he was taken to the courtroom, he did not quite understand what was happening when he was placed in a chair at a long table full of unknown faces. He recognized some people, the Hokage, Sakura, Itachi and Kakashi. He saw the way Kakashi looked at him with astonishment and guilt. He did not want to be there.

Sakura came to visit him a few times, she would always check him to make sure he was healthy and said he was sorry for not being able to give him anything because the trial was being postponed. Then he was curious about what was in that bag. He took out some books and a vessel with something that smelled delicious. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

When he picked up an orange book, he thought he had seen it somewhere. "I particularly prefer  _Tatics_ , but you can read that first since it's the beginning of the saga." He heard Sakura speak and was really curious about what those three books were all about. He decided that he would read, since he had nothing else to do.

"What has changed?" He asked as he ate the meal she had brought, the best he could without the chains getting in the way.

"Your judgment will happen soon, so I can bring things to you now." She leaned over and helped him unfold the chains, then sat down again while he ate. "Sasuke and Itachi are rebuilding the district. After the completion of your sentence, you can move there."

"I don't think Itachi-kun will want me around." Obito mocked.

Sakura shifted in the chair and he realized she was nervous. He set the bowl on the lap and stared at her. "What happened Sakura-chan?"

She sighed and looked at him steadily. "Zetsu was using you." She looked at the floor. "Itachi officially stated so I can tell you now." Obito listened intently as Sakura explained everything Itachi had seen in Zetsu's mind. How Madara was being used and using him at the same time, how the writing on the rocks of the Uchiha clan had been altered to deceive Madara, how the plan was to bring Kaguya back to life and suck all chakra until nothing existed. He was shocked by that statement and felt empty to discover that him had been being used all this time, both by Madara and by Zetsu.

When Sakura finished speaking he was relieved that Konoha had thwarted his plans for the Infinite Tsukuyomi. He wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, realizing that everything he lived through all those years was a lie when he could be living his life in Konoha. He felt the bitter taste of repentance and now he would have to live with the consequences of his acts.

"Akatsuki has gone back to being what it used to be, and I think your feather will be light. I think you'll be judged only by defecting from Konoha and plotting against your house." Sakura said after a few minutes of silence and he knew she was trying to ease the mood after that catastrophic statement. "Gaara...Er, the Kazekage declared that he isn't interested in judging Akatsuki by attack. He said the losses that Suna suffered were due to spies within the Suna Council."

She put the empty vessel back in the bag and left the books with him. "I should not tell you any of this, so keep it a secret." She laughed lightly making him smile in return. "When your sentence is over, the Uchiha district will be your home. A new beginning. Itachi said it". She bit her lower lip and he understood that Itachi would not deny him what he wanted for himself.

He nodded, still numb by the earlier statement. There was a knock on the door and Sakura lifted to open it.

"Well, that's my time." She smiled at the new visitor and waved goodbye to Obito before closing the door behind him.

"I didn't know if you wanted to see me, so..." The visitor scratched the neck nervously before sitting in the chair in front of him. "Forgive me for not having protected her."

Obito felt his heart sink when he saw how much guilt was in the man's eye sitting in front of him. He knew that Rin had thrown herself in front of that Raikiri, he knew Kakashi could do nothing to stop her, he knew it was his fault for being late and now more than ever he knew that Zetsu had taken him to the place too late, to corrupt the little boy with hatred and rancor, only to use him. "It was not your fault." He said weakly, realizing that he would be a fool if he missed this second chance of doing things differently.

Kakashi sighed in relief. He knew they blamed each other for everything that happened. He knew that neither words nor time would change the guilt he felt about what happened to Obito and Rin, but he got a second chance and he would be a fool if he denied it. "Sakura brought this?" Kakashi pointed to the book beside Obito.

Obito nodded. "She said the  _Tatics_  is better."

"I like the classic." Kakashi took the orange book and sat next to Obito in bed. " _Paradise_." Kakashi handed the book to him and took his own out of the pocket, both opened the book and Obito blushed at the thought of why Sakura would read it, he looked at Kakashi who was concentrating on his own reading and thought that maybe Kakashi was a bad influence for his students. He concluded that he should never have left Konoha.

* * *

Tsunade stared at everyone sitting around the giant table in the council room. "The daimyo approved my request for reform in the Council and to my surprise, he denied the permanence of those old irritants." She smiled a little. "Now you must have realized that you're part of the new Council of Konoha."

"It's an honor, Tsunade-sama, but don't you think Shikamru would have more disposition to this position?" Nara Shikaku asked nervously.

"You're just wanting to get away from the extra work." Tsunade stated with irritation. "Shikamaru has already told me that he has an interest in being with Naruto when the brat assumes my position and I have decided that some clan leaders will be good for the Council."

"Tsunade-sama, my clan nor does exist anymore." Kakashi stated, trying to use a different tactic than Shikaku.

Tsunade rubbed the forehead with her chakra-wrapped fingers to avoid a headache. "Another lazy bastard." She grunted. "Then start making children, Hatake. Bring your clan back to life because you'll remain on that Council."

She stared at Akimichi Chouza, Yamanaka Inoichi, Hyuuga Hiashi and Uchiha Itachi waiting for them to keep their mouths shut and sighed with relief when she realized that not everyone was lazy like Hatake and Nara. "How Jiraya decided to disappear after his stay in Amegakure just because he knew I would play Hokage's position on him, I want you to elect a new Hokage. "

"Tsunade-sama-" Hyuuga Hiashi tried to argue but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I have already decided and I have the approval of the daimyo, who is not here today for personal reasons, so who do you suggest for a new Hokage, knowing that the position is temporary until Naruto is able to take over?"

After a few minutes of awkward silence Kakashi looked at Itachi seriously. "I'm sure Uchiha Itachi would be the best choice, Tsunade-sama." He did not lose the way Hyuuga twisted the nose at that statement.

"I think like that too." Tsunade rested the chin on her hands. "Uchiha Itachi is a pacifist." She looked at him that was so calm and stoic as ever. "You have prevented two wars so far, one has been at a very high cost, paid with blood from your own clan. I think you'll be the best choice. The citizens of Konoha like you, for your relationship with Sakura and for you to be considered a hero. You'll be well accepted."

"I agree." Nara Shikaku stated. "Shikamaru told me a few things about you. I think Konoha would benefit from the vision you have, Uchiha-san."

"Any objections?" Tsunade asked and stared at the table. "Do you all agree with the choice of the new Hokage?" When everyone nodded approval, even the apprehensives Hyuuga and Yamanaka, she smiled and stood. "Congratulations, brat, the job is yours." She turned and walked out the door and when the door slammed behind her everyone heard a loud chuckle.

"Someone is happy." Kakashi commented.

"Should I be worried?" Itachi asked seriously causing everyone at the table to laugh.

Itachi did not receive a response and he actually asked a serious question. He never intended to be a Hokage, and however temporary it was until Naruto took the position, he knew it would take a few years for the boy to be ready. He was focused on rebuilding his clan and creating a family with Sakura and Sasuke next to them. He did not know how those two would get the news. He hoped Tsunade's maniacal laughter would not be a bad omen for him.

* * *


	34. Happy ending

"You don't look nervous." Sakura said in a sweet tone as she tugged at the collar of the white robe he wore. He thought that new cloak was a nice change compared to the black red cloud cloak that was folded and stored in the back of the apartment closet where he and Sakura lived.

"Baa-chan wasted no time." Naruto said in a neutral tone, not showing any emotion.

It was only a week since the meeting with the new Council, where Itachi was chosen as the new Hokage and Tsunade did not wait long to announce the news, which took them where they were now. After the ceremony took place in front of the whole village a few minutes ago where he was greeted with howls and applause. He was now in the office of the Hokage Tower, where he knew he would remain most of the time.

"Don't be bitter, Naruto." Sasuke said with a teasing tone.

"Tsk. I'm going to take this chair right after your brother, you idiot." Naruto made a childish pout and Sakura had to contain the urge to laugh.

"Now boys, don't start a fight. It's not about you guys today, it's about Itachi-san." Kakashi put a hand on each shoulder in a gesture to stop the fight he knew would start soon.

"You're always so energetic in the morning." Shikamaru grumbled lazily.

"Have you decided who will be your personal counselor?" Sakura asked as she sat in the chair in front of the table where her shishou used to sit. She decided to ignore the parallel conversations.

Itachi sat in the chair for the first time and did not notice that a silence had fallen on the noisy office. When he looked up to answer Sakura's question he saw that everyone was staring at him in admiration. "You look good in this chair, Aniki." Sasuke broke the silence.

Itachi gave a small smile. "I'm just warming it, before Naruto is ready." He looked at Naruto who smiled wide and satisfied. He looked at Sakura. "I wish were you but-"

"Nepotism." Sakura interrupted him, giggling slightly.

He smiled genuinely, surprising everyone except Sakura and Sasuke who were accustomed to this open side of him. "I can't name my future wife as counselor." He held her hand on the table.

"We'll have a wedding soon, I see." Kakashi said with an obvious smile in his voice.

Itachi nodded and released Sakura's hand. "Kakashi-san is a Village Counselor, Nara-san will be Naruto's counselor. Sasuke, as well as you would be considered nepotism."

"That reduced your options, huh." Sakura teased, knowing exactly who he would choose as a Counselor after this revelation. Itachi was an analytical man, he would choose someone capable, intelligent and especially someone he could trust. She understood that he thought of her or Sasuke as the first choice because he considered them capable and because he trusted them blindly. Kakashi would be the next option because they worked together previously and because Sakura and Sasuke trusted Kakashi with their lives. Shikamaru proved to be an option in every meeting they had on the battle against Akatsuki, and after eliminating all those options, Sakura knew who was next on Itachi's list.

The door opened and Neji came in, bowing respectfully toward Itachi. "Hokage-sama."

"My counselor." Itachi stated with a small smile and Sakura could swear that there was a faint pink in the cheeks of her partner Hyuuga when all the eyes of the room turned to him.

* * *

With Itachi occupied as a Hokage, internally reforming the Village after all the damage that Danzo and the old Council had done in all previous years, Sakura and Sasuke were responsible for reform in the Uchiha district.

Naruto was busy being trained, studying hard to learn all the politics necessary to become a leader, in addition to training with Sasuke for the Chuunin exams that occurred in Amegakure, which became an hidden Village officially, to Kisame's disgust. Nagato and Konan gave way to the Chuunin exams. Sasuke and Naruto finally ceased to be genin and target of Sakura and Kakashi's jokes.

Tsunade left Konoha shortly after putting the hat on Itachi's head in front of the whole Village. She found Jiraya in her travels, and even though she had not said anything in her letters, Sakura and Shizune knew she was with the old pervert, betting between them and Naruto, about when they would take over the romance.

Itachi ordered search patrols to Orochimaru, not forgetting for a second about the venomous snake and his blind interest in the sharingan. With the help of Nagato they overthrew the Otogakure but Orochimaru escaped along with Kabuto and some remnants. They found living experiments everywhere and with much medical and psychological work the survivors were reintegrated into society, being accepted in Ame, where Nagato offered them a new life.

A girl named Karin was a big help in finding all of Orochimaru's experiments, to Sasuke's disgust and Naruto's amusement, the girl had an obsession with the younger Uchiha. Sasuke swore to himself that he would find a girlfriend as soon as possible to get rid of the crazy fangirl. Sakura persuaded Sasuke to invite Ino to a date, knowing that the girl had a crush on him since they were children. Sasuke realized that despite the passion she really had for him, Ino was not as irritating as he hoped she was, but he doubted that this relationship progressed, but if she helped him get rid of the insane redhead, he would grab the opportunity that was given, temporarily.

* * *

Shizune was responsible for the hospital after Tsunade's disappearance. She became responsible for Uchiha Obito's care during the time of the man's confinement. She would never admit it to anyone, but he was sweet and she knew she was falling for him, slowly.

Obito received the penalty that was given him with all the dignity that remained in him. One year of confinement in that cell, another year of confinement within Konoha, before being reinstated as a shinobi. He accepted, knowing it was the least, after all the damage he caused.

He had some health problems due to the squeeze he suffered and the experiments that Madara had done on him using the Hashirama's cells. He wanted Sakura to take care of him, knowing that she was the only one besides Kakashi that did not hate him. But after a few months being cared for by a woman he did not see the face because of the bandage they insisted on keeping over his eyes, he was satisfied. The woman was kind and treated him like a human. He realized that her visits were too frequent to be for medical purposes alone. He did not care, on the contrary, he found himself yearning for her arrival day after day. Even though he received visits from Sakura and Kakashi, he loved her company.

Shizune. Sakura had shared her name, and he found himself saying that name more often than he wanted. One day he felt her breath too close to his face and with an impulse he kissed her. She ran out of the room and he thought she would not come back after that, but the next day he felt her perfume invade the cell and he smiled. After the routine exams, she took the bandage out of his eyes and he saw her face for the first time after months of wait. She was beautiful and he said those words aloud, happy to make her blush. "When you get out of here, you better take me on a date." She yelled at him before knocking the door behind her.

He smiled widely and repeated in his mind that even if he did not deserve it, he would be happy this time.

* * *

One year and a month after Itachi was elected Hokage, the Uchiha district was reformed. After months of Itachi's insistence, Sakura left ANBU which was now commanded by Kakashi and Yamato. He insisted that she help Shizune with the hospital, but she had other ideas. Itachi was happy to give her, as an early wedding gift, a pediatric ward in the hospital, where besides taking care of the children of the village, there was a space where all the orphans were cared for until they were of the greatest age. Sakura, Sai and Naruto went to great lengths to take care of the orphans of Konoha and received with joy some orphans of Oto, Ame and Suna. Sakura said she did not want anyone to suffer the same that Naruto, Sasuke and Sai suffered as children and Itachi would give the world if she asked.

"You're so beautiful." Ino wiped a tear from the corner of the eye before she stained her makeup.

"Sakura-chan, you look really beautiful." Hinata said shyly.

Sakura looked at the mirror in the room of the main house of Uchiha District where from that day on, she would live next to the man she loved. The white kimono with small red flowers, had a tail, imitating the occidental style. Her hair was a side braid, covered with white flowers, and Ino's makeup was flawless. She admitted for the first time in her life that she looked beautiful. She never cared much about her physical appearance and always wondered what Itachi thought was so beautiful about her, but looking at herself in the mirror, she almost understood where he saw the beauty he always praised.

She walked down the flower-filled corridor toward him. She admired the way he looked gorgeous in the black yukata with red details. When their eyes met, she felt the heart stop for a second. She walked over to him and when he held her hand in his, she knew that this was where she belonged and always wiil belong.

The traditional ceremony was swift, the party lasted all day. Tsunade and Jiraya almost finished with the village sakê stock. Obito and Shizune were closer, to the happiness of Sakura and Tsunade, who finally saw her friend with a love interest. Naruto was stammering beside some girls while Sasuke tried to dodge Ino's advances until Karin appeared, causing him to pull the blonde onto the dance floor. Sakura was happy and when she saw Itachi's face, which to any one looked stoic, she knew he was as happy as she was.

She did not lose the way Shikamaru looked at Ino more than she normally would and she knew it was because Ino was too beautiful, but she also knew there was something else in that look. She smiled broadly as Tenten dragged Neji onto the dance floor and she wished with all her heart that he see the feelings of his teammate.

* * *

"Help me with that." Sakura asked after trying and failing miserably, undo the kimono tie.

Itachi undid easily and distributed kisses down her neck and shoulder in the process. "You were so beautiful that I almost lost my breath."

When the laundry fell to the floor, she turned to face him. It was rare at times that Itachi vocalized how he felt about her. He always showed with actions and gestures how he appreciated her and she knew he loved her, but when he used words, she was the one who felt breathless. Instead of answering, she undid the tie of his clothes, and wondered how easy it was when hers seemed so difficult, she pushed him into the bed before he could protest and she knew that even if he could he would not.

Sakura placed both legs next to his hips and admired the man beneath her, completely undressed and with long dark hair scattered on the pillow, she meant that he was beautiful and it took her breath away, but imitating him, this time, she decided to show him how he made her feel. She felt his hands tighten her hips tightly as she kissed his whole body. She heard his breath catching and was pleased. She stepped away from him and removed the white lingerie that covered her and when he tried to sit down to touch her, she wore the suspender strap to tie his hands on the bed rails.

"Now is about you, husband." She whispered and watched as his eyes activated the sharingan the moment she called him husband.

"Sak-" She put a hand over his mouth to stop him from speaking.

"You'll be a good husband and keep your mouth shut, understand?" She said with an authoritative voice and realized that he was enjoying this game more than she expected when he nodded in submission.

She brushed her light pink nails over his chest and smiled when he shuddered. "You only talk if I let you. You don't touch me until I let you." She smiled when he nodded again. "Well, let's get started." At that moment she realized that Sai was right all along, Itachi was really a masochist.

* * *

"This smells delicious." Itachi said hoarsely in her ear and she jumped showing that she had been surprised.

Itachi grimaced. Sakura was never taken by surprise, she was an exceptional kunoichi, and even being out of ANBU for almost a year, she was still elite. "You're distracted."

"Hai." She said in a weak tone. "Where are the boys?" She asked putting the dinner on the table.

"Sasuke and Obito are still at the police station." He had passed the police station before going home to find the two Uchihas submerged in work, he reminded them that Sakura would kill them if they were too late for dinner and left leaving the threat to make the desired effect. Obito was still serving his sentence after the trial, but Itachi decided to reinstate him on the internal active list, putting him to help Sasuke in the police district that was revived after the Uchiha District rebuilding, but now the police force was not exclusively Uchiha. Itachi would not make the same mistakes made by his ancestors.

"Kakashi and Yamato are still in the ANBU building and Naruto and Sai are in the orphanage." He added as he picked up a plate that slipped from Sakura's hand, he managed to save the poor plate before it crashed to the floor. "Sakura, what's wrong?" He pulled her into a hug and began to be really worried about her.

She looked at him and bit her lower lip, looking away and at that moment he knew something was bothering her. "Sakura?" He used an imperative tone.

"Tachi..." She took his face in her hands and kissed him lightly. "I'm Pregnant." She whispered into his lips after the kiss.

Itachi had never felt weakness in his body before, nor when he was forced to kill his parents and his clan, even when he was debilitated by the illness he thought would kill him, nor when he received the news that he would be the new leader of Konoha, so he did not understand why his legs had completely lost their strength when he found himself kneeling before the woman he loved.

"Tachi." Sakura shouted worriedly as Itachi fell to his knees in front of her. When he did not respond but put his face on her belly and wrapped his arms around her waist, she calmed down. She smiled and stroked his hair, after a long minute of silence she saw his shoulders tremble slightly and his breath quickened more than usual. "Tachi, are you crying?"

"No." He said seriously, but did not lift his head to look at her.

"Do you want to cry?" She asked a little uncertainly.

"Hn."

"Please, don't cry." She begged.

"Okay."

"We're at home." Obito's cheerful voice echoed through the kitchen and Sakura watched as he and Sasuke froze in place to see the position where she and Itachi were.

"What the hell, bastard. Don't stop halfway." Naruto screamed as he hit Sasuke's back which had abruptly stopped. He circled the Uchihas and realized why they had stopped.

Itachi stood and no one commented the way he wiped the corners of his eyes quickly and stared at the intruders in the spacious kitchen. He looked at the confused faces of Sasuke, Obito and Naruto, Kakashi's masked face that revealed nothing and the immutable features of Sai and Yamato. "Sakura is pregnant." He almost laughed at the sight of them with wide-eyed and smiling immediately.

Before he could stop them, he was pushed aside when Sakura was taken from arm to arm in a tight hug by all the men in the kitchen. He frowned and pulled Sakura out of Naruto's arms when he decided the hug was taking longer than necessary. He pulled Sakura into a hug, not caring about the public affection for the first time.

He was feeling something completely new and it scared him. He was feeling complete. Having Sakura like his wife was an incomparable happiness and he loved her more than anything or everyone. Having the District's main house always crowded with these people Sakura called friends, including hisa little brother, made him feel almost like they were a peculiar family. But knowing that now he and Sakura would have a real family of theirs made him feel complete, genuinely complete.

"Obrigada, Sakura." Before he could stop, he found himself stealing her lips in a heated kiss. When he pulled away, he kept his hands around her face. "I love you."

Sakura gasped at the first time she hear him say that words and before she could stop, tears fell down her face. "Hey, don't cry." She heard Itachi's voice that it was muffled when she buried the face in his chest.

"That was so beautiful." Obito's voice broke the moment.

"Shut up." Itachi and Sakura screamed in unison, ignoring the laughter echoing through the kitchen.

Itachi wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her again. All he could think of was that this woman was all he needed and their child would be loved and he would do anything to make nothing bad happen to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short epilogue, right after.
> 
> Thanks for all the comments, favorites and kudos. Thank you for tolerating my grammatical errors and the meaningless words that I let slip during the writing.


	35. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end. I loved writing 'Believing', thanks for reading.

_**Nine years later** **...** _

"Wait for me." The six-year-old girl, with dark hair and dark eyes, screamed as she tried to reach out to the others.

"Rin-chan, I told you to be careful." The eight-year-old boy with pink hair and green eyes said as he helped the little girl lift her off the floor. He knelt down in front of her and wiped the dirt from her clothes.

"Sorry, Ichi-nii." Rin, the first daughter of Obito and Shizune, said shyly.

"I'll always take care of you, Rin-chan." Ichiro, the older son of Itachi and Sakura, stroked the little girl's cheek and took her hand, walking slowly toward the forest.

"Come play with us." Naruto's hyperactive son screamed as he snatched the book from Sasuke's daughter.

"Boruto, give me that back now." Aiko screamed angrily as she ran after the seven-year-old boy.

Aiko and Boruto had been born the same day, coincidentally. Aiko was Sasuke's first daughter with a civilian. Like he hoped the relationship with Ino did not work and she eventually married Shikamaru while Sasuke married a beautiful civilian he met in Suna on an ANBU mission. The woman fell in love with him and being the secretary of the Kazekage, managed to visit Konoha many times, making Sasuke realize that the interest was mutual, it did not take long for him to ask her in a date, after a push of Naruto and threats of Sakura. Akiko moved from Suna to Konoha in a short time and in less than a year they were married, two years later Aiko was born.

Naruto dated a few girls. Sasuke knew he was trying to overcome Sakura in his way, and even he thought that this perverted habit inherited from Jiraya was not healthy, but Sasuke did not judge. Some time later Naruto finally realized the feelings of Hinata and married the girl, almost a year after Sasuke married Akiko. Boruto was born a little later.

The son of Shikamaru and Ino lay lazily in the grass beside Itachi's younger son and Sasuke's younger son, ignoring the routine fights of Aiko and Boruto. While the Sai's son with a former partner of ANBU Root, drew the scene before him.

"Where's Nii-chan?" Itachi's younger son asked no one in particular.

"Must have disappeared with Rin-chan again." Boruto replied as he lay on the grass next to them rubbing his head where Aiko had beaten to retrieve the stolen book.

* * *

"Where are we going, Ichi-nii?" Rin asked as she was dragged through the forest.

"A secret place." He replied with a small smile, happy to see curiosity adorn her features.

He took her to an isolated place in the forest. Opening the curtain of leaves he pulled Rin into the cabin that was made between two large, hollow trees. "What place is this?" She asked with admiration as she saw the little place decorated with objects and flowers.

Ichiro lay on the red futon and smiled as she lay beside him, putting her head on his arm, using him like a pillow. "Mom showed me this place recently. She said it was a secret place for her and daddy, but now she and Daddy decided it would be my place."

Rin sat abruptly. "Your secret place?" She asked in surprise. "Why are you showing me then, Ichi-nii?"

He smiled and pulled her to lie down next to him again. "Because I want to share it with you."

"So did Aunt Sakura share with Uncle Itachi?" She asked almost shyly.

He nodded and she smiled, laying her head on his chest. "Our secret place." She whispered before closing her eyes.

* * *

"Who's going to get the brats?" Naruto asked as he devoured the ramen Hinata had made.

"You go." Sasuke answered nonchalantly.

"I'm eating. You go." Naruto answered angrily with his mouth full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Sakura scolded and slapped him on the head making him choke on the food.

Sai pointed to Neji who was next to Tenten who had a baby asleep in the arms. "I'll not, I have to take care of them." Tenten laughed knowing how much Neji was protector of her and the boy who had just been born.

"The old guys will go." Obito replied, pointing to Yamato and Kakashi who were sitting on the spacious sofa of Sakura and Itachi's living room. With the other hand he stroked Shizune's round belly.

"We have the same age." Kakashi grunted without taking his eyes off the new book Jiraya had published.

"I'm younger than you two." Yamato grunted.

"I'll." Itachi kissed Sakura's cheek that was talking with Ino, Akiko and Sai's wife.

"Itachi is a good husband, Sakura-chan." Hinata said sweetly, but all the women in the room laughed knowing that she said for the purpose of annoying the other husbands, including Naruto.

"Oy, I'm a good husband... and the best Hokage this Village has ever seen." Naruto shouted indignantly.

"If you do it again, I'll make you swallow this dish." Sasuke grunted as he wiped the face that Naruto had spit while talking with full-mouth.

"Here we go again." Shikamaru said lazily as he waited for a fight that was about to happen.

* * *

Itachi walked slowly into the park inside the Uchiha District where the kids used to play and clapped the hands to get everyone's attention, smiling when they stopped everything they were doing to follow him. He was happy to still impose authority even though Sakura said he had grown too soft over the years.

"Isao-kun, where is your brother?" He asked as he stroked the dark hair spiked from the youngest son who reminded him so much of Shisui.

Isao caressed Kuro who was resting on his shoulder and looked at his father to answer the question. "Ichi-nii disappeared with-"

"I'm here." Ichiro ran, holding Rin's hand, smiling as Kuro flew off his brother's shoulder and landed on his shoulder.

Itachi looked at the eldest son beside Obito's daughter and smiled, knowing exactly where they were, seeing the direction from where they were coming from. He had a light foreboding that perhaps his love story and Sakura would repeat, but this time in a less painful way.

"The lunch is ready." Itachi stated.

"Those who come last wash the dishes." Boruto screamed and ran toward the main house, followed by the others who shouted in protest.

Itachi felt a chakra he had not felt in a long time and narrowed the eyes.

"Dad, what happened?" Ichiro asked worriedly as he saw the apprehensive face of his father.

Itachi ran a hand through his son's pink hair. "A storm is approaching." Itachi said in a calm but serious voice making the boy feel shivers down his spine. Ichiro looked in the direction where his father was looking earlier and swore he saw a snake crawling through the bushes.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Itachi said with conviction reassuring the older son. "You're going to have to do the dishes, son."

"Damn it." The boy screamed and ran toward the house.

"Language." Itachi shouted before smiling.

He looked once more at the bush and was relieved to know that he would have the chance to exterminate Orochimaru once and for all. If old Sannin thought only for a moment that he could threaten his clan or Konoha again, he was sure the man was more delusional than he initially thought.

He would protect his family and his clan with everything he had.


End file.
